School of Vocal Studies and Opera
The inspirational training provided by our School of Vocal Studies and Opera is renowned the world over.
Drawing on the expertise of our dedicated tutors, behind the scenes staff and professional partners, the unique and carefully curated programme provides young singers with the necessary skills and real-world experience to develop long and successful careers.
Intensive one-to-one tuition and ensemble coaching is complemented by masterclasses and an array of specialist classes designed to enhance your dramatic, language, stagecraft and musicianship skills. You’ll also have opportunities to take to the stage through recitals, concerts and biannual Opera Scenes, ensembles such as the RNCM Chamber Choir and RNCM Songsters, a host of internal competitions and external engagements, and our fully-staged RNCM Opera productions. Open to vocalists in all years, these take place in our purpose-built Theatre twice a year and are produced by a guest creative team, ensuring you receive first-hand industry knowledge as you study.
Partnerships and collaboration with the Hallé, the BBC, Buxton International Festival, SienAgosto in Italy, the Edvard Grieg Kor in Norway and an exciting, new and developing partnership with English National Opera, provide enviable opportunities for further professional development. We are also fortunate to be the home of postgraduate Répétiteur Studies, providing intensive training for pianists wishing to enhance their skills in this area.
RNCM vocal and opera students are regularly invited to perform and broadcast alongside professional companies in prestigious venues such as the South Bank Centre (Royal Festival Hall), the Royal Albert Hall (BBC Proms), Oslo Opera House, Bergen Grieghallen, The Bridgewater Hall, Wigmore Hall, and at the Edinburgh International Festival. They also perform with many of the UK summer opera festivals, including Glyndebourne, and are often offered places on Young Artists Programmes in the UK and internationally. Please see below for a list of student successes.
Recordings featuring RNCM students include: Alfred Cellier’s Dorothy, conducted by Richard Bonynge (Naxos); Britten’s Peter Grimes, Schoenberg’s Gurre-Lieder, and Berlioz’s Grande Messe des Morts with the Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra and Choirs conducted by Edward Gardner (Chandos); and Verdi’s Simon Boccanegra with the Hallé Orchestra and the Chorus of Opera North conducted by Sir Mark Elder (Opera Rara).
For more information on the audition process and requirements for the School of Vocal Studies and Opera, click here.
Further Information
Professors
International Chair in Singing
Ann Murray DBE
Head of Vocal Studies and Opera
Professor Lynne Dawson MIL, FRNCM
Deputy Head of Vocal Studies
Dr Nico de Villiers PhD FHEA
Deputy Head of Opera
Kevin Thraves DipRCM (Hons)
Professor of Vocal Coaching
Sheldon Miller PDipCCPA (Chicago)
Professors of Singing
Professor Lynne Dawson MIL, FRNCM
Eiddwen Harrhy HonD Litt
Quentin Hayes AGSM
Andrew Heggie PGDipRNCM
Yvonne Howard
Paul Nilon PPRNCM
Mary Plazas PPRNCM
Deborah Rees PPRNCM
Sarah Rhodes AGSM
Linda Richardson PGDipRNCM
Elizabeth Ritchie
Thomas Schulze
Antonia Sotgiu GRNCM
Hilary Summers BA (Hons)
Christopher Turner
Samuel Queen
Mark Wildman
International Visiting Professors
Susan Bullock CBE
Michael Chance CBE
James Gilchrist
Della Jones
Ann Murray DBE
Professor David Owen Norris
Christopher Purves
Amanda Roocroft
Toby Spence
Sir John Tomlinson CBE
Henry Waddington
Roderick Williams OBE
Professors in Vocal Coaching and Visiting Repetiteurs
Professor Lynne Dawson MIL, FRNCM
Dr Nico de Villiers PhD FHEA
Hein Boterberg (International Opera Academy – Belgium)
Derek Clark (Scottish Opera)
David Cowan (Opera North)
Caroline Dowdle
David Gowland (Jette Parker – Royal Opera House)
Paul Wynne Griffiths (Royal Opera House)
Robin Humphreys PPRNCM
Adrian Kelly (Buxton Festival and Zurich International Opera Studio)
Steven Maughan (Glyndebourne)
Russell Medley ARNCM
Sheldon Miller PDipCCPA (Chicago)
Martin Pickard (Opera North)
Michael Pollock
Ingrid Surgenor (Glyndebourne and National Opera Studio)
Kevin Thraves DipRCM
Philip Voldman
Jonathan Fisher
Professors in Stagecraft, Voice and Speech, Stage Combat and Physical Awareness
Jonathan Cocker BA (Hons)
Kenan Ali PGCE
Adam Davies
Matthew Ganley
Professors in Academic Foreign Language Classes and Repertoire
Professor Lynne Dawson MIL, FRNCM
Dr Nico de Villiers PhD FHEA
Bastian Hohaus
Nataliya Kompaniyets-Jouri PGCertPAE, FHEA
Antonio Tilli Dottore in Lettere Moderne (Chieti)
Alexander Vonrospach MA
Héloïse Bernard
Antonia Sotgiu GRNCM
Thomas Schulze
Professors and International Visiting Professors in Pedagogy, Vocal Health, and Speech Therapy
Frances Ascott MRCSLT, Lead Speech and Language Therapist (Manchester Royal Infirmary)
Dr Ron Morris PhD
Principal Study Options
Singing
Repetiteur Studies (postgraduate only)
Available Courses
Undergraduate:
Bachelor of Music with Honours
Graduate Diploma of the RNCM
Postgraduate:
Master of Music
Master of Performance
Postgraduate Diploma: Advanced Studies
Postgraduate Diploma in Solo Performance/Vocal Studies and Opera (IAD)
PGCE in Music with Specialist Instrumental Teaching
Research Degrees
Recent Student Successes
Jette Parker Artists Programme (Royal Ballet and Opera)
2025-26: Emyr Lloyd Jones, Ellen Pearson
2023-25: Ryan Vaughan Davies
2022-24: Michael Gibson
2020-22: Alexandra Lowe
National Opera Studio
2025-26: Peter Lidbetter
2024-25: Emyr Lloyd Jones, Nancy Holt, Olivia Tringham, Sarah Winn
2023-24: Camilla Seale, Georgia Ellis, Jacob Swindells
2021-22: Joanna Harries
2020-21: Philip Clieve, Thomas Hopkinson
Europe and International
Eliza Boom, Opera Studio Bayerisches Staatoper (Germany);
Oscar Bowen-Hill, Chorakademie Bayerisches Staatoper (Germany);
Jane Burnell, Opera Studio at The Royal Swedish Opera (Sweden);
Chelsea Burns, Young Artist Programme at Australian Opera (Australia);
Conrad Chatterton, Opera Studio at the Deutsche Oper am Rhein Düsseldorf (Germany);
Lila Chrisp, Freiburg Opera Studio (Germany);
Peter Entwisle, Vienna Staatsoper Chorakademie (Austria);
Liam Forrest, Opera Studio at Staatsoper Stuttgart (Germany);
Alex Gibb, Ghent International Opera Academy (Belgium);
Alysia Hanshaw – Opera Studio of the Opera National du Rhin, Strasbourg (France);
Rosalind Hardie, Chorakademie Bayerisches Staatoper (Germany);
Hakeem Henderson, Cafritz Young Artist Washington National Opera (USA);
Jessica Hopkins, Opera Studio at Opera National du Rhin Strasbourg (France);
Madison Horman, Dutch National Opera Studio (Netherlands);
Liam Karai, Hamburg International Opera Studio (Germany);
Lachlann Lawton, Young Artist at Opera Queensland (Australia);
Stephanie Maitland, Opera Studio Wiener Staatsoper (Austria);
Steffan Lloyd Owen, International Opera Studio at Opernhaus Zürich (Switzerland);
Armond Rabot, Bayerisches Staatoper Opernstudio (Germany);
Rafael Rojas, International Opera Studio at Opernhaus Zürich (Switzerland);
Rosa Sparks Ghent International Opera Academy (Belgium).
Contact Us
School of Vocal Studies and Opera Administrator
E [email protected]
T 0161 907 5221
Admissions and Course Enquiries
E [email protected]
T 0161 907 5465
