Staff A-Z

Dr Rachel Drury is a researcher and creative artist working in the field of music psychology and therapeutic arts. She is Co-programme Lead for the MA Psychology in the Arts (Music) programme at the RCS and the music specialist for Rachel House Children’s Hospice in Kinross (CHAS).

Marc is a lecturer on the Traditional Music course.

Celia’s ‘squiggly’ career has ranged from mainstream music academia, technology-assisted learning and research (when it was new and more interesting), corporate training, and institutional senior management where she played a key role in RCS’s development as a research institution.

The focus of her current work is the need for rapid evolution and change in higher music education and driving institutional innovation to achieve that – including maximising the potential of knowledge exchange and innovation in the small specialist arts sector.

Paolo Dutto is the recently appointed Principal Contrabassoonist with the Royal Scottish National Orchestra.

Born in Cuneo in 1979, Paolo graduated from the local conservatory having studied with Professor Stefano Audisio. He continued his education at the “Fiesole Music School” as a member of the Italian Youth Orchestra, studying with musicians such as Giampaolo Pretto and Marco Postinghel, and at the Turin Conservatory, where he was awarded a Bachelor’s degree, with a specialization in bassoon (Professor Claudio Gonella). He also participated in several bassoon master classes held by Andrea Azzi (principal bassoon of the “Teatro Regio” in Turin), Valentino Zucchiatti (principal bassoon of the “Teatro Alla Scala” in Milan) and Roberto Giaccaglia (principal bassoon of the “BBC Philharmonic Orchestra”), and in contrabassoon with Gabriele Screpis (principal bassoon of the “Teatro Alla Scala”).

Peter Dykes, born in North Yorkshire, studied oboe under Stephane Rancourt and Stephen West at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, graduating in 2000. During this time in Scotland, he made regular guest appearances with the Royal Scottish National Orchestra and the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra.

Sarah is the Engagement Development Assistant within the Research and Engagement team at RCS. She manages the Engage Desk, and provides support to the RCS community with maintaining and developing their academic profiles on Pure. She also assists the Research and Engagement team with administrative support and project operations.

She has a background as a researcher, with a focus on community energy movements and critical political theory. Alongside her academic work, she has held a variety of roles within arts and music venues, both in Scotland and Catalonia.

As RKE Development Officer, Stephanie supports students, staff, and recent graduates from across the institution and in the wider community with creative enterprise support, funding, and engagement initiatives. She coordinates the newly developed Creative Enterprise Development Office.

Sam Ellis is co-lead of the Bachelor of Music (BMus) degree programme, working closely with School of Music staff in the delivery of the undergraduate curriculum. He teaches in a broad range of core and elective subject areas, supports wellbeing across the whole student journey, and plays a key role in ensuring the continued academic and professional relevance of the BMus.

Leonor Estrada Francke is an interdisciplinary theatre artist from Lima, Peru. She works across genres, creating live art that is political and visceral, documentary and surrealist. Her current research interests include anticolonialism, feminism and the city, as well as developing a language of surrealist auto-fiction with which she disentangles her biography.

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.

David Fennessy’s music has been performed internationally by many groups including the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, Ensemble Modern, London Sinfonietta and the RTE National SymphonyOrchestra of Ireland.

DIP MUS ED (RSAMD), DRSAMD (Piano & Singing), LRAM, PG DIP (RCM)

A graduate of the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama (now The Royal Conservatoire of Scotland), in both piano (with Lawrence Glover) and singing (with Elizabeth Izatt), mezzo-soprano, Kathleen McKellar Ferguson, then qualified with honours as a class teacher before pursuing post-graduate studies in singing (with Marion Studholme) at the Royal College of Music in London. Whilst there she won several awards including a Countess of Munster Scholarship. She then studied with Margaret Hyde and pursued a highly successful professional singing career in both opera and on the concert platform before becoming a very sought-after singing teacher and vocal coach both at home and abroad.

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.

Brian graduated from the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland (then the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama) in 2001. Since then, he has worked extensively as an actor with many of the UK’s leading theatres, including The Royal Court, The Almeida, The National Theatre of Scotland, The National Theatre of Great Britain, The Citizens Theatre and the Royal Shakespeare Company. He has also worked extensively in television and film in the UK and abroad.

Self-taught fiddler Marie Fielding is lecturer in Performance and Fiddle, Traditional Music at R.C.S. Her role is to nurture uniqueness and innovation, guiding the students on their journey as a person and musician, building resilience, confidence, identity, performance style and much more.

Dr Fabrice Fitch is a composer and musicologist specializing in Renaissance polyphony and its performance. He taught music for 15 years at Durham University, and was Head of Graduate School at the Royal Northern College of Music, Manchester; he is now a Senior Research Fellow at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland. He is also known as a reviewer, notably with Gramophone, for which he has been writing since 1993.

Member of the Academic Board & Risk Management Group

Lois has extensive experience in HE curriculum design, innovation and review and institutional review, as well as issues and leadership in quality assurance and enhancement and academic management.

Head of Music, English National Opera