Princess Diana’s favourite artist has made an important gift to his college on the eve of its bicentennial year.

As a kid, Elton did five years of piano lessons at the Royal Academy.

Here’s the press release:

The Royal Academy of Music is proud to announce a new programme which will promote global mobility and international collaboration between deserving and talented young musicians.

The scheme, developed by the Academy and endorsed by Elton John, goes live in September 2022 and will enable students from twelve of the top conservatoires in the world to take part in educational exchanges with the Academy. These will vary in length from one week of intensive project-based work to, in exceptional cases, a full year of study.

Over 200 years, the Academy has a long history of international collaboration, and some of its closest partner conservatoires are among the initial list of organisations taking part in the scheme.

Confirmed exchange institutions include:

• The Juilliard School (New York),

• Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique et de Danse de Paris

• Shanghai Conservatory of Music

• Sibelius Academy of the University of the Arts Helsinki

• mdw – University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna

• Hanns Eisler Academy, Berlin

• The Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts

• Sydney Conservatorium of Music

• University of Music and Performing Arts, Munich

• Reina Sofía School of Music (Madrid)

• The Glenn Gould School of The Royal Conservatory of Music, Toronto

• Tokyo University of the Arts Faculty of Music and Graduate School of Music

The Academy’s Principal, Jonathan Freeman-Attwood CBE, said: ‘In a rapidly changing global landscape, conservatoires must evolve to meet future needs and create fresh opportunities for young artists. Central to this is the free exchange of ideas without regard for international boundaries – which is why we have set up this network from a selection of the finest music schools in the world. All have long been friends of the Royal Academy of Music, and so re-connecting with each of these institutions has been profoundly encouraging. Because each is committed to expanding horizons for our future generation of musicians, the prospect of sharing our work and culture through individual exchanges and projects is thrilling.

‘Elton John, himself an Academy alumnus, has provided remarkable assistance to our international student body over the years, and is deeply committed to ensuring that young musicians are able to collaborate, innovate and develop as artists in the broadest environment. We are hugely grateful to him for lending his name to this project and offering support.’