Academic Studies
Academic Studies underpin the Bachelor of Music with Honours at the RNCM.
Throughout the programme, students attend classes in musicianship, historical and contextual studies, performance and repertoire, and language of music, all of which are designed to support the components of Principal Study tuition.
As the course progresses, students are offered a series of electives by leading researchers in music. These include exploring issues in historical and contemporary performance practice, composition, notation, orchestration, music and other arts (painting, architecture, cinema), music for the stage and, among others, arranging. Combined, the modules provide you with the highest quality teaching underpinned by cutting-edge research, while complementing your practical work and future career aspirations.
Please note that GRNCM (‘Joint Course’) students do not take Academic Studies modules at the RNCM as requirements are fulfilled through the MusB programme at The University of Manchester.
Postgraduate Study: The Academic Studies team teach and supervise academic aspects of postgraduate programmes. There are several ways you can pursue your studies at postgraduate level – for further information please visit the Graduate School.
Academic Studies Staff
Programme Staff List
Director of Programmes
Dr Jennie Henley BA (Hons), MMus, PGCE, PGCFHE, DipABRSM, CTABRSM, PhD
Head of Undergraduate Programmes
Professor Nicholas Reyland PhD, MMus, BMus (Hons), FHEA
Deputy Head of Undergraduate Programmes
Dr Simon Parkin ARCM, GRNCM, MusB, PhD
Deputy Head of Undergraduate Programmes and Course Leader GRNCM
Dr Michelle Phillips BA (Hons), MA, PhD, SFHEA
Head of the Graduate School
Professor David Horne BMus, PhD
Deputy Head of Graduate School
Dr Simon Clark BMus, MMus, MPhil, PhD
Associate Director of Research
Professor Jane Ginsborg PhD, BA (Open), BA (York), DipGSMD, C.Psychol., AFBPsS, FHEA
Head of Jazz and Improvisation
Steve Berry FHEA
Head of Music, Health and Wellbeing
Dr John Habron BA, MA, PhD, MA, FHEA
Programme Lead Music Education (PGCE)
Dr Robert Gardiner
Deputy Head of Composition, Digital and Research
Dr Larry Goves BMus, MPhil (RNCM). PhD (Soton)
RNCM International Chair in Music Education
Nate Holder BA (Hons), MMus
Deputy Head of Keyboard Studies
Dr Adam Swayne, MusB (Hons), MMus, DM (Northwestern University, USA), GRNCM, SFHEA
Fellows in Creative and Professional Practice
Hannah McCabe BMus (Hons), MMus
Gavin Wayte PhD, MusM, BMus(Hons), FRSA
Lecturer in Health and Wellbeing
Dr Sara Ascenso
Lecturer in Music
Dr Annika Forkert Magistra Artium, PhD, FHEA
Teaching Fellows in Historical Performance
Harvey Davies GRNCM
Roger Hamilton MA, MA, ARCM
Teacher in Dalcroze Eurhythmics
Dr Karin Greenhead PhD; Dip. Sup. Institut Jaques-Dalcroze; GRSM; ARCM
Visiting Tutors
Sarah Atter BMus(Hons), GRNCM
Dr Amanda Babington BMus (Hons), MA (Performance), MA (Musicology), PhD, FHEA
Dr Laura Bowler, PhD, MMus, MA, BMus (Hons)
Dr Katie Chatburn, BMus, MMus, PGCE, LRAM, ARAM
Sarah Crooks, PGCert, MMus
Barney Cunningham
Dr Dario van Gammeren SFHEA
Natalie Grady, BA (Hons)
Gethin Griffith BMus (Hons), PGDipRNCM, PGCertPAE, FHEA
Michael Harper BMus, MMus
Dr Rachel Johnson PhD, MMus, MusB (Hons)
Helen Krizos, LMusA
Professor John Miller PhD, MA (Cantab), FGS, FRNCM
William Minty
Dr Lucy Pankhurst PhD, MMus, BMus (Hons)
Michael Purton BMus, MMus
Dr Helen Seddon-Gray MusB (Hons), GRNCM, MusM (Hons), PhD
Richard Strivens
Dr David Vickers BA (Hons), MMus, PhD
Andrea Vogler, BMus (Hons) RNCM, DipRNCM (Perf)
Dr Nina Whiteman BA (Hons), MusM, PhD
Bethan Wiliam, Cert. Ed Practitioner NLP
Dr Kris Worsley PhD
English Language Learning Support Tutor
Professor Jean Ammar FHEA, BA (Hons), Cert Ed, Dip Ed (TESOL), MEd. (TESOL), MA (History), PhD, Dip Management, SFHEA
Learning Support Tutor
Dr Cheryll Duncan BMus, MA Music, MA Psych, PhD, PGCE, Ad.Dip. Couns., HonRNCM
E-Learning Co-ordinator
Peter Stacey BSc, MMedSci, PgCert
StART Entrepreneurship Project Coordinator
Ava Podgorski MUsB (Hons), MusM
Placements Coordinator
Jessica Steels-Chambers
Contact Us
If you have any enquiries regarding Academic Studies at the RNCM, please email [email protected].
