The Yehudi Menuhin School is located in Cobham, UK and founded in 1963 by Yehudi Menuhin. It stands as one of the world's most prestigious and influential institutions for nurturing elite young musicians. YMS is renowned for providing an exceptional learning environment and top-tier faculty for musically gifted youth from around the world, and as the ‘cradle of musical genius’. This esteemed institution includes among its alumni the internationally celebrated violinist, Lu Siqing. With a global reputation, the school is deeply admired by students of classical music, and consider it an unparalleled honor to study there. The noble and sacred stature of the Yehudi Menuhin School is chiefly due to:
ASteadfast dedication to a unique spiritual ethos
In an era where modern music is gaining popularity and prominence, the school maintains its unwavering commitment to classical music, a stance that earns admiration and respect from all quarters.
BPure and distinguished academic lineage
The school boasts its faculty of experienced teachers with profound artistic skills, many of whom also teach at esteemed institutions such as the Royal Academy of Music (RAM), the Royal College of Music (RCM), and the Guildhall School of Music and Drama. The stringent student selection process ensures the continuity of a pure and prestigious academic lineage while promoting the cultivation of students' comprehensive qualities. The school's alumni have gone on to study at world-class music institutions like the Royal Academy of Music, the Juilliard School, and the Eastman School of Music, while others have been selected by renowned universities such as Oxford, Cambridge, and Harvard.
CUnwavering commitment to holistic education
The school cultivates an academic environment that nurtures talent and fosters a passion for music in children from around the globe, empowering students of diverse nationalities and cultural backgrounds to fully reach their potential. The school places a high priority on nurturing students' sense of responsibility, ambition, tolerance, and care for others.
Core Values
DAn incubator for artistic luminaries
For more than half a century, the Yehudi Menuhin School has served as a beacon in the field of music education, fostering the development of numerous internationally acclaimed musicians. Notable alumni include violinists Tasmin Little, Lu Siqing, Nicola Benedetti, and Alina Ibragimova; cellists Colin Carr and Paul Watkins; pianists Melvin Tan, Kathryn Stott, Charles Owen and Paul Cockle. Many of its graduates have become top talents in world-renowned chamber orchestras, symphony orchestras, higher art colleges, or other music-related fields, earning the school its epithet as the 'cradle of musical genius."
Under the influence of Yehudi Menuhin's philosophy, the Yehudi Menuhin School has always maintained a close and friendly relationship with China. Not only does it welcome Chinese students each year, but it's frequently invited to participate in events and performances related to China. In September 2021, David Buckley, Chairman of the School Board, was invited to a reception at the Chinese Embassy in the UK, commemorating the 72nd anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China. Students from the Yehudi Menuhin School also had the honor of performing at this event. Subsequently, the school received a letter from Ambassador Zheng Zeguang, expressing gratitude to the Yehudi Menuhin School for nurturing numerous exceptional musicians for China and asserting a readiness for closer collaboration with the school. The Yehudi Menuhin School also anticipates further cooperation with China in the sphere of music education.
