“Nurturing musical excellence on a global scale” – Forte signs new global partnership agreement with London’s Royal College of Music and Inspired Schools

NEW YORK, Sept. 12, 2023 /PRNewswire/ — Forte (www.fortelessons.com) today announces an unprecedented global collaboration with the Royal College of Music (the RCM) and Inspired Schools, the premium private schools group. Forte is the only online platform where students will be able to take private lessons from a music teacher who has been officially verified by the RCM.

Forte and the RCM have partnered with Inspired Schools, a private school system with over 80,000 students worldwide, to offer premium lessons with RCM teachers. Lessons are taught on Forte, the industry-leading music education platform featuring high-definition audio, giving students of all skill levels global access to some of the world’s best music teachers.

Mark Murtagh, Forte’s co-founder and CEO commented – “The Royal College of Music is the world’s #1 top-rated performing arts conservatory. This partnership will provide Inspired students unprecedented access to the educational and artistic excellence that the RCM represents. Using Forte’s industry-leading music learning platform, students can take private lessons from an RCM teacher who is a great fit for their skill level, goals, and musical interests. We are honored to be working with the RCM and Inspired to nurture musical excellence on a global scale. We can’t wait to hear the music these Inspired students make.”

Forte teachers from the Royal College of Music are members of the exclusive RCM faculties, Junior Department instructors who specialize in younger learners, alumni teachers who are graduates of the RCM, or students who are currently enrolled in the RCM’s undergraduate, masters, or doctorate level programmes and are among the most promising young musicians in the world.

“The Royal College of Music is delighted to work with Inspired Schools to bring a love of the art and craft of music to its students. As one of the world’s greatest conservatoires, we look forward to welcoming Inspired students to the RCM’s extended community,” said Kevin Porter, Acting Director of the Royal College of Music. “I have been struck throughout the development of this innovative platform by the passion for excellence demonstrated by Forte. It is this reason, above others, that makes Forte a natural partner for RCM.”

About Forte

Forte (www.fortelessons.com) is the industry-leading online music education platform, featuring high-definition audio. It has an impressive suite of innovative features, including effortlessly recorded lessons, simultaneous dual camera angles, and interactive live shared notebooks – all within a single, user-friendly interface, the Forte platform is revolutionizing the world of musical education.

The global music education market is enormous. In the US alone, seven percent of the population has taken music lessons in the past year. It is the number one item of expenditure by parents on supplemental activities for their children, larger than sports and academic test prep.

Mark Murtagh is a long-time investor in the education sector who has built a reputation for spotting “trapped value” in world class educational institutions. He has previously worked with top-tier music institutions, including The Juilliard School and Berklee College of Music, helping them reach massive global audiences and generate significant new revenues. Mark established Forte Lessons in 2022 with co-founder Hunter McGranahan.

About The Royal College of Music

Founded in 1882, the Royal College of Music (RCM) is a world leading music conservatoire with a prestigious history and contemporary outlook. More than 900 undergraduate and postgraduate students come from over 50 countries and are taught in a dynamic environment, leaving the RCM to become the outstanding performers, conductors, and composers of the future. In 2023 and 2022, the RCM was ranked as the global no. 1 institution for performing arts in the prestigious QS World University Rankings by Subject. 

The Royal College of Music has trained some of the most important figures in British and international music including composers and performers such as Gustav Holst, Ralph Vaughan Williams, Benjamin Britten, Michael Tippett, Samuel Coleridge-Taylor, Leopold Stokowski, Sir Hubert Parry, Sir Colin Davis, Sir Neville Marriner, Dame Joan Sutherland, Sir Thomas Allen, Dame Sarah Connolly, Tarik O’Regan, Lord Lloyd Webber, Sir James Galway, Anna Meredith MBE, Louise Alder and Mark-Anthony Turnage. 

Regular visitors to the RCM include Sir Thomas Allen, Vladimir Ashkenazy, Alina Ibragimova and Lang Lang. Our recent honorary doctorates include Sir Antonio Pappano, Jonas Kaufmann, Dame Kiri Te Kanawa, Sir Roger Norrington, Sir Bryn Terfel, Steve Reich and Maxim Vengerov (Polonsky Visiting Professor of Violin). 

About Inspired Schools

A definitive statement of excellence in private education, Inspired is a world-leading, co-educational, non-denominational group of premium schools, nurturing well-rounded individuals who are able to achieve their maximum potential, and thrive confidently in an evolving world.

Inspired schools offer a vibrant, progressive academic environment for learners, aged 1 to 18 years, and demonstrate a fresh and contemporary approach to education by re-evaluating traditional teaching methods and curriculums, creating a dynamic, relevant and holistic model of international education that reflects the current global context. We celebrate the unique individuality and talent of each student and Inspired schools equip students with transferable skills and a strong academic foundation so that they can positively contribute to the world and achieve life-long success.

SOURCE Forte