Lin-Manuel Miranda, Cynthia Erivo & More Honoured by the Royal Academy of Music in its 200th Anniversary Year

On Tuesday 12 July, the Royal Academy of Music honoured some of the biggest names of stage and screen, celebrating the institution's 200th anniversary. The graduation and honours ceremony was held at London's Freemasons' Hall, hosted by John Suchet, and attended by HRH The Duchess of Gloucester.

Recipients included songwriter, actor, producer and director Lin-Manuel Miranda who became an Honorary Doctor of the University of London (Hon DMus). The Tony, Grammy, Olivier and Emmy-winning Miranda is probably best known for his musical In The Heights and the smash hitHamilton. Recipient of the Pulitzer Prize for Drama, Hamilton was nominated for a record 16 Tony awards, winning 11. His work in film includes his 2021 directorial debut tick, tick...BOOM!, Mary Poppins Returns, and writing the music for Netflix's 2021 animated feature Vivo, Disney's 2016 animated Moana and the 2021 smash hit film Encanto.

The Academy also awarded honorary membership (Hon RAM) to 93 year-old Dame Patricia Routledge, famous for her work on Broadway with Leonard Bernstein and as the indomitable Hyacinth Bucket in Keeping Up Appearances. Honorary Membership was also conferred to comedian and actor Matt Lucas and actress, singer and songwriter Cynthia Erivo.

From the world of classical music, the Academy's Chair of Conducting and Chief Conductor of the Czech Philharmonic, Semyon Bychkov, received an Honorary Doctorate of the University of London and addressed the students in a vote of thanks. Founder of Psappha Ensemble, Tim Williams and pianist Tom Poster were also honoured. Fellowship of the Academy (FRAM), awarded to those who attended the institution as students, was awarded to musical director, pianist and composer Allyson Devenish, violinist Susan Collier, singer Helena Dix, orchestrator and conductor Cliff Masterson. Lecturer and author Kadiatu Kanneh-Mason and the Academy's Deputy Principal (Advancement) Kirsty MacDonald were made Honorary Fellows of the Royal Academy of Music (Hon FRAMs).

The Academy is Britain's oldest conservatoire and the second oldest in the world. As it enters its third century it aims to reach an ever-widening audience with a host of special events in its Bicentenary year including a new podcast series, new commissions from students and alumni, and the launch of 200 PIECES, 200 new works written for solo instruments and voice, which will be available as a public resource from December.

About the Academy

The Royal Academy of Music moves music forward by inspiring successive generations of musicians to connect, collaborate and create. We are the meeting point between the traditions of the past and the talent of the future, seeking out and supporting the musicians today whose music will move the world tomorrow. As we enter our third century, our aim is to shape the future of music by discovering and supporting talent wherever it exists.

About the Musical Theatre Course at the Academy

The Academy's postgraduate Musical Theatre course is widely recognised as one of the best in the UK, and recent graduates have been cast in productions including Hamilton, Six, Heathers, The Lion King, Dreamgirls and The Prince of Egypt in the West End, Les Misérables in London and on tour in the UK and USA, and the UK tours of Miss Saigon, Avenue Q and The Phantom of the Opera. Its alumni include West End stars Christine Allado, Fra Fee, Hadley Fraser and Rachel Tucker.