Vocal Studies

Introduction

The vocal department is ambitious on your behalf and seeks to find ways for you to discover and fulfil your potential as a singer and independent, distinctive artist. The department numbers around 100 first study singers on B Mus and M Mus courses, with a further 20 singers taking the advanced MMus Opera route. Our team of tutors and coaches aim to help you find and healthily release your own true unique voice, establishing a technique which can serve you reliably, with a sense of freedom.

The department is led by Professor Stephen Robertson (Head of Vocal Studies) and supported by Associate Head of Vocal Studies Dr Ralph Strehle. Working closely with the Head of Opera, Philip White, it has an excellent and committed team of tutors, many of whom have worked and continue to work at the highest international performing levels and who are able to offer a range of specialisms.

Underlying the performing, teaching and coaching activities within vocal studies is a simple idea: that each singer must find the mode of learning and developing which really works for them. This means that though much of the department activity will be comparable to what happens in other conservatoires throughout the world, here in Glasgow our approach is student centred and we aim to respond to the differing learning styles and needs of individual singers.

In addition to this very full and rounded approach to developing your voice, we believe that quick and valuable learning takes place via a multiplicity of varied performance opportunities. Each year therefore we devise a programme of concerts, operas, recitals, competitions and master-classes that enable students to participate at appropriate levels.

Our unique relationship with Scottish Opera has enabled many students to benefit from taking part in productions in fully professional theatres with the orchestra and production team from Scottish Opera, and the on-going Emerging Artist scheme provides an extra level of training beyond post-graduate work. Students can also exit with PGDip awards.