Royal Academy of Music Museum facts for kids
The Royal Academy of Music Museum is a special place in London where you can explore the world of music. It's like a treasure chest filled with musical instruments and other cool items. This museum is also a research center for the Royal Academy of Music.
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Discover the Royal Academy of Music Museum
The museum is housed in a beautiful old building. It was first designed in 1822 as a grand entrance to Regent's Park. The outside of the building, created by John Nash, is very important historically. Even though parts of the inside were damaged in the 1940s, the outside still looks amazing. The Royal Academy of Music moved to Marylebone Road in 1911. Later, with help from the Heritage Lottery Fund, they fixed up this building. Now it holds music studios, practice rooms, and the museum itself.
Explore the Galleries
The museum has three main galleries that are always open. They also have new displays and exhibitions that change regularly. These galleries show off different time periods, instruments, and musical topics. You can see stringed instruments that are hundreds of years old! The displays celebrate the work of musicians, composers, and instrument makers.
Ground Floor Wonders
The ground floor gallery has a display called 'History of the Academy'. Here, you can see items from famous musicians connected to the Academy. Imagine seeing one of Sir Henry Wood's conducting batons! There are also letters written by the famous composer Felix Mendelssohn. Another special item is a restored French horn that belonged to Dennis Brain. It was fixed after an accident and is now on display. This gallery also hosts temporary exhibitions. For example, one exhibition celebrated the life of the amazing violinist Yehudi Menuhin.
Amazing String Instruments
In the Strings gallery, you can see a fantastic collection of instruments from Cremona, Italy. This city is famous for making some of the best violins in the world. You'll find instruments made by legendary makers like Stradivari and Amati. The exhibition also shares historical facts and pictures. A very special violin, the ‘Viotti ex-Bruce’ by Stradivari, is here. It was saved for the country in 2005. The museum has over 250 stringed instruments. These instruments are often played in concerts and recordings by students and professionals.
Pianos and More!
The Piano gallery features a collection of pianos. These instruments have been loaned to the museum by various generous people. You can see different types of pianos, including a Stodart grand piano.
The Museum's Collections
Since it started in 1822, the Academy has gathered many important collections. These include instruments, handwritten music, letters, artworks, and teaching materials. Many collections are named after famous individuals.
Handwritten Music Treasures
The Academy holds original handwritten music by some of the greatest composers. You can see works by Purcell, Schubert, Mendelssohn, Liszt, Brahms, Sullivan, and Vaughan Williams. It's incredible to see the actual notes they wrote!
Special String Instruments
The Academy has more than 200 stringed instruments from the violin family. These instruments are used by students and recent graduates. A special instrument maker, called a luthier, takes care of them. The collection includes several instruments made by the famous Stradivari family. These include violins like the Rutson (1694) and the Viotti-ex-bruce (1709). There are also violas and cellos from this famous family. You can also see violins made by the Amati family, another group of legendary instrument makers.
Other Fascinating Collections
The museum also has other interesting collections. The Foyle Menuhin archive contains letters, music, and photographs from Yehudi Menuhin's life. There are also collections related to famous people like Jenny Lind and David Munrow.
See also
- List of music museums
