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Bentley Foundation celebrates third birthday by naming Royal Academy of Music as flagship partner

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Published
07/12/2026 by

To celebrate The Bentley Foundation’s third birthday, the Royal Academy of Music has been announced as its third flagship partner, marking a significant new chapter in the Foundation’s evolving approach to philanthropy – one that champions long-term impact through arts, culture and global education.    

The partnership will support the Glover Edwards Conducting Programme, a pioneering initiative designed to address long-standing under representation on the conductor’s podium, while nurturing the next generation of orchestral leaders. Founded in 2018, the programme has become internationally recognised for its role in developing exceptional conducting talent and driving structural change within the classical music profession.

As Britain’s oldest conservatoire and a world leader in musical excellence, the Royal Academy of Music shares Bentley’s deep-rooted commitment to heritage, craftsmanship, innovation and leadership. The Academy brings together students from over 50 countries, providing world class training through intensive teaching, ensemble performance and hundreds of public concerts each year.    

Under the partnership, The Bentley Foundation support will help to sustain and enhance three interconnected strands: the Glover Edwards Conducting Programme, postgraduate conducting scholarships for women, and flagship performances by the Academy Symphony Orchestra. Together, these initiatives will widen access, remove financial barriers and create visible pathways for under represented talent to thrive at the highest professional level.

The programme will include a major public performance: Ryan Bancroft conducts the Academy Symphony Orchestra, one of the Royal Academy of Music’s most prestigious concerts, showcasing the next generations of musicians on a world class stage and bringing the Foundation’s investment to life for live and global audiences.    

Sian Edwards, Head of Conducting at the Royal Academy of Music, said:

“The Glover-Edwards Programme continues to make great strides, and we can see the impact that it has had in addressing gender imbalance in postgraduate conducting course applications, and by extension, the profession. With the Bentley Foundation now partnering with us to help continue the Programme, as well as supporting vital scholarships and Symphony Orchestra performances, I have great confidence that we can continue to make even more progress in the coming years.”    

The announcement follows the Bentley Foundation’s recent partnerships with the National Portrait Gallery and The Queen’s Reading Room and, since its creation in 2023, underscores the bold new philanthropic strategy focused on enduring partnerships and on creating measurable, long term social and cultural impact.    

Through the Royal Academy of Music partnership, the Bentley Foundation will help ensure that tomorrow’s conductors and orchestral leaders are shaped by merit, creativity and opportunity – not circumstance – reinforcing Bentley’s wider mission to create meaningful progress beyond its own industry.    

Wayne Bruce, Director of Visitor Experience and Heritage and Head of the Bentley Foundation, added:    

“At Bentley, we believe excellence is never accidental – it is the result of dedication, craft and opportunity. Our partnership with the Royal Academy of Music reflects our commitment to cultivating leadership, creativity and access in disciplines that shape culture for generations. By supporting the Glover Edwards Conducting Programme, we are investing in talent that has historically been overlooked, while championing a more inclusive and progressive future for the arts.”    

Anchored in Bentley’s Beyond100+ strategy (launched in 2023), the award-winning Bentley Foundation has built a powerful record of measurable impact, funding 21 projects across 15 countries, and reaching more than 636,000 people worldwide. These achievements continue to reflect Bentley’s long term commitment under Beyond100+ to stewardship, regeneration and delivering positive change for future generations.

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