Faculty members
Teachers
Lynne Dawson
Lyric Soprano - Head of the School of Vocal Studies and Opera at RNCM, Manchester
Lynne Dawson is the RNCM’s Head of the School of Vocal Studies and Opera and has been one of Britain’s best-loved and respected sopranos for more than 30 years. Before becoming a singer, she trained as a translator and interpreter and spent several years in industry before studying at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama. She was very fortunate to work with many conductors and ensembles at the forefront of the Historical Performance movement, including the Deller Consort, the Hilliard Ensemble, John Eliot Gardiner, Roger Norrington, Christopher Hogwood, Trevor Pinnock, and with them made many recordings for most of the major labels.
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Elisabeth Priday
Soprano
Elisabeth Priday studied at the Royal Academy of Music, and whilst there she joined the Monteverdi Choir under John Eliot Gardiner. This marked the beginning of her career as a specialist in Early and Baroque music, both as a soloist and as an ensemble singer. She is a member of the Deller Consort, and has sung for Christopher Hogwood and Trevor Pinnock, and also with the Tallis Scholars. She's now keen to pass on her expertise and enthusiasm to the next generation of singers.
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Michael Chance, CBE
Countertenor - Professor at the Royal Conservatory, The Hague - Professor at the Royal Academy of Music, London - Artistic Director and CEO of The Grange Festival, Hampshire
In opera, oratorio, recital and in recording, Michael Chance has been singing to worldwide acclaim for over thirty years. His success has helped spread the appeal of counter-tenors, and foster the explosion of interest in baroque music. In addition, he has sung the first performances of a large body of new work by living composers. He teaches at the Royal Academy of Music in London, and the Royal Conservatorium in The Hague. He received the CBE in 2009.
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Daniel Taylor, O.C.
Countertenor - Head of Historical Performance at The University of Toronto, Faculty of Music
An exclusive recording artist for Sony Classical, Daniel Taylor is one of the most sought-after countertenors in the world. Daniel appears on more than 100 recordings which include Bach Cantatas/Monteverdi Choir/Gardiner (for Deutsche Grammophone Archiv and SDG). As an educator, Daniel has offered master classes at the Beijing Conservatory, the Sao Paolo Conservatory, at the Royal Academy, the Guildhall and the Royal College of Music. The University of Toronto recently appointed Daniel Taylor to the position of Head of Historical Performance in the Faculty of Music.
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Paul Beier
Lute - Professor at the Civica Scuola di Musica Claudio Abbado, Milan
Paul Beier graduated from the Royal College of Music in London. He has performed in Europe, North and South America and Australia as soloist, director of Galatea, member of various groups and as continuo player in orchestral and opera productions. His solo lute repertoire extends from the Italian Cinquecento to the music of Bach and Weiss. Since 1981 Paul Beier has taught lute, continuo and ensemble at the Scuole Civiche di Milano.
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Giulia Nuti
Harpsichord - Head of the Early Music dept. of Scuola di Musica di Fiesole
Harpsichordist Giulia Nuti has appeared in venues throughout Europe as a soloist and continuo player. A specialist in Italian music and treatises of the baroque, her book "The performance of Italian basso continuo" (Ashgate 2007) is cited as an essential text for performers and scholars of basso continuo. Giulia teaches harpsichord at the Scuola di Musica di Fiesole, where she leads the department of Early Music; she also holds a research post at the Conservatorio della Svizzera Italiana in Lugano.
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Repetiteurs
Rebecca Taylor
Piano
Born and educated in North Yorkshire, Rebecca made her concerto debut at the age of 17 performing Shostakovich's 2nd piano concerto. Under the tuition of Jeremy Young of the RNCM, she was awarded a performance scholarship to the annual Birmingham International Piano Academy in 2005 and the following year she won the Piano Academy's concerto competition. She is currently playing as accompanist for Celine Forrest, who is taking part on the Cardiff Singer of the World Competiton, currently taking place, and being shown on BBC Television, on BBC 4.
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Richard Leach
Piano and harpsichord
Richard is a pianist, organist and conductor based in London. He has played at the Wigmore Hall, St Bride's Fleet Street, St James's Piccadilly, for the Concordia Foundation, and as a staff accompanist at the Royal Academy of Music. He has worked as an accompanist and répétiteur for The Grange Festival, The English Concert, the Philharmonia Chorus, The Monteverdi Choir, the English Baroque Choir and OSJ Voices. He is the organist of Ealing Abbey Choir. Richard studied at Oxford, Cambridge, and the Royal Academy of Music
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