Christopher Morley talks to the retiring principal of Birmingham Conservatoire.
After 17 years at the helm, George Caird bows out at the end of this term as principal of Birmingham Conservatoire – now thriving as the largest university music faculty in the country and a flagship for Birmingham City University.
He told me about his vision when he took up the post at what was once the Birmingham School of Music, after an oboe professorship at the Royal Academy of Music.
“I was really inspired by a number of things,” says Professor Caird. “One was the presence of Simon Rattle and the CBSO in Birmingham, and also other arts provision which I was aware of. Birmingham Conservatoire was an institution that had, for a long time, been going along its own path, but was showing signs of wanting to really emerge as an international institution.
“My expectation and excitement was to see if we could help the Conservatoire to become that, which could mirror all that wonderful activity in the city.”
“Simon and I go back to Royal Academy of Music days, when he was one or two years behind me as a young man studying conducting and I was there as an oboe student under Janet Craxton. I remember he persuaded me to give a lecture on the oboe to the conducting class – it was Simon’s organisational powers that brought that about, rather than the Academy.”
Overseas students have become an increasingly important component in the work of the Conservatoire, as George explains. “We absolutely need to prioritise looking after UK students – obviously if you’re a UK conservatoire you want to be of service to your community – but at the same time you want to be an international conservatoire because that’s how things operate now.
“With nearly 90 overseas students from outside Europe, and another 70 or more from Europe, we’ve got a very, very significant international presence now.”
All of this has raised the profile of Birmingham Conservatoire on every continent.
“The future will be about continuing that internationalism,” George adds.
Turning all of this inward attraction on its head, it’s gratifying to see how many Conservatoire students are going out into the world, carving rewarding careers for themselves, from spectacular success in X Factor (Rhydian Roberts, who was runner up in the 2007 final, is a former student) to triumphs on the operatic stage, and sterling work in top-class orchestras.
“I think it’s wonderful,” George agrees. “We’ve got people in British orchestras and opera companies; we’ve got people singing in musical theatre in London and elsewhere; we’ve got leading jazz musicians out there; we’ve got people being professionals abroad – a number of our Chinese students are back teaching in China, for instance.
“The other thing that’s gratifying is that in the West Midlands I think a huge number of the music-based jobs are occupied by former Conservatoire students. We’ve grown the cultural economy!”
After all these aspirations when George Caird first came to the Conservatoire all those years ago, in what state does he leave it now?
“I feel that a conservatoire is an emblem of artistic health for any city. I’m very, very heartwarmed at the way Birmingham is proud of its Conservatoire, along with its other artistic organisations and achievements.
“The Conservatoire’s dimensions since 1993... I think we were around 300 when I arrived, the Junior Conservatoire was embryonic...and last year we reckoned that more than 1100 were getting the benefit of education here each week
“The higher education count last year was about 650-ish, so it’s trebled, if not quadrupled, in size.
“We’ve got an amazing Junior Conservatoire with more than 250 students, some of exceptional talent.
“And we are, of course, a leading research conservatoire. We did well to be placed third in the research assessment exercise in 2008, behind the Royal Academy and the Royal College – the leading conservatoire outside London in research! In a way, we cover all aspects of professional music training.”
George goes on to tell me about his own plans for the future.
“You always wonder when you’re in a leadership position how long your era should be. I think it’s always healthy to realise they can come to an end. I really want the Conservatoire to go onwards and upwards, which it will under David Saint.
“My own plans are, because I have so many connections both in the UK, Europe and beyond, to serve the music and music education sectors in new ways.
“I’m intending to spend more time on my own craft and to continue the one thing that I’ve always believed in, which is teach as well as one can and commit yourself to the younger generations coming up – all of whom are most impressive.”
* George Caird plays the Richard Strauss Oboe Concerto with the Birmingham Conservatoire Symphony Orchestra, Lionel Friend conducting, at Birmingham Town Hall on December 16 (7.30pm). Details on 0121 780 3333.
