Terence Charlston Appointed Chair of Historical Keyboard Instruments

Thursday 3 March 2016

The Royal College of Music has appointed harpsichord professor Terence Charlston as Chair of Historical Keyboard Instruments, a newly created position.

Director Professor Colin Lawson praised Terence, an ‘internationally renowned harpsichordist with an extensive discography of over 70 commercial CDs who has played an important part in the development of Historical Performance at the RCM. He also takes an integrated approach to performance, research and teaching that only strengthens connections at the RCM between learning, teaching, research and the artistic programme.’

Thomas Allery, Director of Chapel Music at Worcester College Chapel, Oxford and a former student at the RCM, recalls that ‘specialised tuition under Terence Charlston resulted in harpsichord playing becoming a significant and rewarding part of my musical career. Terence's teaching inspired me to discover new repertoires and his approach to learning enables students to express their own musical intentions with confidence. In his lessons and classes students feel able to fashion their own ideas from the music with his supportive expertise.’

Responding to the news, Terence said he was ‘very pleased and honoured,’ acknowledging ‘the enormous amount of help and collaborative support I have received from students and colleagues, and from the institution itself, over the last nine years’. He added, ‘my research has undoubtedly benefitted from close engagement with the RCM collections during this time and I look forward to expanding my performance-led work at a time of exciting developments within the College.’