Strings Department (Postgraduate)

While teaching at RCS, Ruth has hoped to pass on her enthusiasm for different periods and styles of music to her students. She has a great interest in the practicalities of playing in a historically informed way on modern instruments-especially in Baroque & Classical music. She also teaches 20^th Century repertoire- Stravinsky Bartok Messiaen, as well as the 2^nd Viennese School.

In summer 2018 Francis took up the post of Head of Junior Conservatoire at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland and continues teaching commitments at St Mary’s Music School. Francis serves on the board of the National Youth Orchestras of Scotland and as a trustee of the Benedetti Foundation.

Bernard Docherty is a prizewinning violin graduate of the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama and was for many years co-leader of the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra. He is in constant demand as a guest orchestral leader at home and abroad.

Tamás’ repertoire includes all the major violin concertos, from Baroque to the 20th century, and at the end of 2016, he recorded Bach’s complete Sonatas and Partitas for unaccompanied violin,  released under Discovery Music and Vision label and launched the CD in two performances at the RSNO centre to huge acclaim.

Since her London debut performing Bruch’s Scottish Fantasy at St. James’ Palace for Yehudi Menuhin’s 60th Birthday Celebration at the age of 12, Scottish violinist Andrea Gajic has enjoyed an international career as a soloist and chamber musician of the highest order.

Since her first concert at age five, Maya has enjoyed an international career as a solo violinist, chamber musician and orchestral leader. Her performances have taken her to major concert halls worldwide such as the Royal Festival Hall and Wigmore Hall in London, Musikverein in Vienna, Royal Concertgebouw in Amsterdam, Lincoln Centre and Carnegie Hall in New York City and Suntory Hall in Tokyo name a few.

Highlights for Maya as a soloist include appearances with the Los Angeles Philharmonic, New York Philharmonic and the Philharmonia Orchestra, and she has appeared in numerous renowned music festivals such as the BBC Proms, Aldeburgh, Bath and Chichester festivals, and the International Musicians Seminar in Prussia Cove. The Strad has hailed her playing as ‘simply brilliant’ and the Times ‘gorgeous’, and she continues to receive praise from the press.

A committed chamber musician, Maya has been a member of Mobius Ensemble since 2004, and she has also collaborated with artists such as the Vellinger Quartet, Steven Isserlis and Gil Shaham. Her recordings as part of Vikram Seth’s “An Equal Music’ CD compilation are regularly broadcast by the BBC and Classic FM. Maya has garnered much admiration in her role as leader from artists and critics alike and has been regularly invited to lead orchestras such as the Royal Philharmonic, City of Birmingham Symphony, Royal Liverpool Philharmonic, Bournemouth Symphony, Ulster Orchestra, English Chamber Orchestra, Scottish Chamber Orchestra, Orquestra Cadaqués and the John Wilson Orchestra.

After 18 distinguished years, Maya ended her tenure as Leader of the Philharmonia Orchestra in 2012, having led major conductors such as Sir Andrew Davis, Christoph von Dohnanyi, Gustavo Dudamel, Lorin Maazel, Riccardo Muti, Gennady Rozhdestvensky, Esa-Pekka Salonen and Kurt Sanderling. Since 2011, she has devoted her time as Joint Leader, along with James Clark, of the Royal Scottish National Orchestra whilst taking much pleasure from a renewed life in Scotland with her husband and many pheasants!

Award-winning violinist Gongbo Jiang regularly performs with orchestras across the UK, including the Royal Scottish National Orchestra, the Royal Northern Sinfonia, the Scottish Chamber Orchestra and the Scottish Opera.

Greg Lawson is a violinist, composer and conductor who has explored music from many genres. He studied violin at the Royal Northern College of Music with Malcolm Layfield and Eligh Goren and in West Berlin with Ilan Gronich.

After studying in Switzerland with Max Rostal, and working in Europe, Angus Ramsay has been the Principal 2nd Violinist with the Scottish Opera Orchestra for many years. For the past thirty years, he has taught at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland and Napier University for the last six years. Previously taught at Fettes College for nineteen years. He was also been Artistic Director of the Mendelssohn on Mull Festival before co-founding the Cantilena Festival on Islay with Adrian Shepherd and Scott Mitchell.

Hector Scott was born in Edinburgh in 1969 and undertook his undergraduate studies at the RSAMD in Glasgow, where he won all the string prizes before going to Switzerland on a Caird Travelling Scholarship to study with Max Rostal and then to the New England Conservatory, Boston, USA, where he won the Concerto Club of Boston Prize, the Margaret Spanel Prize and played in the NEC Honors Quartet.

Mr. Deacon was a founding member of the Zukerman Chamber Players and has performed at many renowned music festivals such as Verbier, Schleswig Holstein, Ravinia, Aspen and the BBC Proms.

Katrina Lee, a Yorkshire-born Violinist, is a distinguished alumna of the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland. She graduated with first-class Honours in 2014 and earned her Master of Music in 2016, studying under Andrea Gajic. Her academic journey was marked by numerous accolades, including the Hilda Bailey award, Ian D Watt award, Governors Prize for Strings, Robert Highgate Scholarship, and the Governors Prize for chamber music.

Jane Atkins is one of Britain’s most diverse violists with performances encompassing multiple genres including Baroque to Contemporary music, Dance and Jazz.

Dr Lev Atlas, who is currently principal viola at the Scottish Opera Orchestra and a senior lecturer in strings at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, completed his Phd research on Russian Chamber Music at the University of St Andrews and the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland in 2013.

Born in Glasgow, Scott Dickinson (viola) studied at the Music School of Douglas Academy and then in Manchester, London and Salzburg, where he won the Mozarteum Concerto Competition.

Mr. Deacon was a founding member of the Zukerman Chamber Players and has performed at many renowned music festivals such as Verbier, Schleswig Holstein, Ravinia, Aspen and the BBC Proms.

Since her first concert at age five, Maya has enjoyed an international career as a solo violinist, chamber musician and orchestral leader. Her performances have taken her to major concert halls worldwide such as the Royal Festival Hall and Wigmore Hall in London, Musikverein in Vienna, Royal Concertgebouw in Amsterdam, Lincoln Centre and Carnegie Hall in New York City and Suntory Hall in Tokyo name a few.

Highlights for Maya as a soloist include appearances with the Los Angeles Philharmonic, New York Philharmonic and the Philharmonia Orchestra, and she has appeared in numerous renowned music festivals such as the BBC Proms, Aldeburgh, Bath and Chichester festivals, and the International Musicians Seminar in Prussia Cove. The Strad has hailed her playing as ‘simply brilliant’ and the Times ‘gorgeous’, and she continues to receive praise from the press.

A committed chamber musician, Maya has been a member of Mobius Ensemble since 2004, and she has also collaborated with artists such as the Vellinger Quartet, Steven Isserlis and Gil Shaham. Her recordings as part of Vikram Seth’s “An Equal Music’ CD compilation are regularly broadcast by the BBC and Classic FM. Maya has garnered much admiration in her role as leader from artists and critics alike and has been regularly invited to lead orchestras such as the Royal Philharmonic, City of Birmingham Symphony, Royal Liverpool Philharmonic, Bournemouth Symphony, Ulster Orchestra, English Chamber Orchestra, Scottish Chamber Orchestra, Orquestra Cadaqués and the John Wilson Orchestra.

After 18 distinguished years, Maya ended her tenure as Leader of the Philharmonia Orchestra in 2012, having led major conductors such as Sir Andrew Davis, Christoph von Dohnanyi, Gustavo Dudamel, Lorin Maazel, Riccardo Muti, Gennady Rozhdestvensky, Esa-Pekka Salonen and Kurt Sanderling. Since 2011, she has devoted her time as Joint Leader, along with James Clark, of the Royal Scottish National Orchestra whilst taking much pleasure from a renewed life in Scotland with her husband and many pheasants!

Greg Lawson is a violinist, composer and conductor who has explored music from many genres. He studied violin at the Royal Northern College of Music with Malcolm Layfield and Eligh Goren and in West Berlin with Ilan Gronich.

As Principal Cello in some of the world’s leading ensembles English Baroque Soloists, Orchestre Revolutionnaire et Romantique, the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment, the Philharmonia Orchestra and the Scottish Chamber Orchestra David Watkin has played a key role at the heart of some ground-breaking performances.

He has conducted ensembles at the Royal Academy of Music, The Guildhall School of Music, the Royal Welsh College and the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland.

Ms Wells is an advocate for increasing access to musical training. She was involved with several inner city initiatives in Baltimore and served as Chair of the Board of TUBA: The Uganda-Baltimore Alliance, providing mentorship to a brass band project in rural Uganda.

Martin Storey has performed in many countries around the world as a soloist and chamber musician and has served as principal cellist with many British orchestras such as the Philharmonia, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, London Symphony Orchestra, Orchestra of the Royal Opera House, BBC Symphony Orchestra, London Sinfonietta and Scottish Chamber Orchestra. For over eight years he held the position of Principal Cellist with the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra and in 2019 he was appointed principal cellist of Scottish Opera.

Betsy is a founder member of the highly acclaimed Glasgow String Quartet and is also an active member of the RSNO Chamber Music Series. She teaches at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland at both the Junior and Senior Departments. She has performed as Guest Principal Cello with the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, London Soloists Chamber Orchestra, RSNO, BBC Symphony Orchestra, Manchester Sinfonia and the Northern Sinfonia.

As Principal Cello in some of the world’s leading ensembles English Baroque Soloists, Orchestre Revolutionnaire et Romantique, the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment, the Philharmonia Orchestra and the Scottish Chamber Orchestra David Watkin has played a key role at the heart of some ground-breaking performances.

He has conducted ensembles at the Royal Academy of Music, The Guildhall School of Music, the Royal Welsh College and the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland.

Ms Wells is an advocate for increasing access to musical training. She was involved with several inner city initiatives in Baltimore and served as Chair of the Board of TUBA: The Uganda-Baltimore Alliance, providing mentorship to a brass band project in rural Uganda.

Jane Atkins is one of Britain’s most diverse violists with performances encompassing multiple genres including Baroque to Contemporary music, Dance and Jazz.

Dr Lev Atlas, who is currently principal viola at the Scottish Opera Orchestra and a senior lecturer in strings at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, completed his Phd research on Russian Chamber Music at the University of St Andrews and the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland in 2013.

Born in Glasgow, Scott Dickinson (viola) studied at the Music School of Douglas Academy and then in Manchester, London and Salzburg, where he won the Mozarteum Concerto Competition.

Students from Duncan’s Studio have gone on to excel in institutions such as the Royal Academy of Music, Colburn, Julliard and Guildhall. Many are now enjoying professional roles in quartets, orchestras and teaching environments.

Huw Daniel was a pupil at Ysgol Gyfun Ystalyfera, South Wales, and continued his education as an organ scholar at Robinson College, Cambridge, where he graduated with first-class honours in music in 2001. He then studied baroque violin at the Royal Academy of Music for two years with Simon Standage.

Ruth Slater is a professor of baroque violin and viola as well as coordinator and author of the Baroque Music and Ensemble Module at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland. 

As Principal Cello in some of the world’s leading ensembles English Baroque Soloists, Orchestre Revolutionnaire et Romantique, the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment, the Philharmonia Orchestra and the Scottish Chamber Orchestra David Watkin has played a key role at the heart of some ground-breaking performances.

He has conducted ensembles at the Royal Academy of Music, The Guildhall School of Music, the Royal Welsh College and the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland.

Alison teaches baroque cello and viola at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland. She is also a qualified Feldenkrais Method practitioner and is combining her skills to explore how the way we move can influence the music we make.

Having undertaken his undergraduate studies at RSAMD (now RCS) under the tutelage of Iain Crawford (Co-Principal Bass BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra) Tom continued his double bass studies at the Juilliard School in New York with Timothy Cobb (then Principal Bass Metropolitan Opera Orchestra, now New York Phil) graduating with a Master of Music in 2006.

Iain Crawford is a graduate of Julliard School New York and a Fellow The Aspen and Waterloo music festivals. He is Assistant Principal with the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra.

Nikita is currently Principal Double Bass with the Scottish Chamber Orchestra and has held the position since 2010. He has worked with many of the finest orchestras and played as a guest principal with the London Symphony Orchestra, BBC Symphony Orchestra, Royal Northern Sinfonia, Royal Scottish National Orchestra, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, BBC National Orchestra of Wales, Netherlands Philharmonic Orchestra, Amsterdam Sinfonietta and the Stavanger Symphony Orchestra.

Visiting Artist in Classical Improvisation

International Visiting Professor in Contemporary Improvisation

Anto Pett graduated from the Conservatoire of Tallinn (now renamed Estonian Academy of Music and Theatre) as a pianist and composer. Since 1987 he has been teaching harmony and improvisation at the Estonian Academy of Music and Theatre.