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A white woman with blonde hair smiling, wearing a dark sequined top and a necklace. She is holding a historical clarinet.

Royal College of Music welcomes Katherine Spencer to its Historical Performance Faculty

Monday 2 March 2026

The Royal College of Music (RCM) welcomes new historical clarinet professor Katherine Spencer in March. 

Professor Ashley Solomon, Chair and Head of Historical Performance said: ‘I am absolutely delighted to welcome Katherine Spencer to the Royal College of Music’s Historical Performance Faculty. She brings a wealth of experience not just as an outstanding performer but also in the areas of pedagogy and research, working across both theory and practice at the highest level.’ 

Katherine holds principal clarinet positions with the Handel and Haydn Society, The Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment, Academy of Ancient Music, Gabrieli Consort and Players, The Irish Chamber Orchestra and the City of London Sinfonia. She has made numerous BBC Radio 3 solo broadcasts, performs at the BBC Proms, and has presented BBC radio programmes. A believer that music is for everyone, Katherine leads the education and outreach departments of most of her orchestras. She is currently completing a doctorate at Stony Brook University, New York. 

Katherine joins the RCM at an exciting time for Historical Performance students. As well as frequent performances at the RCM, they will embark on a tour to Bolivia in April to participate in the Festival of Baroque Music Misiones de Chiquitos, working with the world famous Arakaendar Bolivia Choir and Orchestra. RCM students will give performances in Bremen alongside students from the Hochschule in a programme of Dowland, as well as two concerts at Hatchlands Park. The faculty will also perform at the Bedford Music Festival with mezzo-soprano Helen Charlston in a concert featuring Bach cantatas and a world premiere by Anna Semple.  

Recently, the Historical Performance Faculty enjoyed a highly successful collaboration with soloists from the Vocal Faculty and the RCM Chamber Choir in their performance of Handel’s Acis and Galatea in the RCM’s Amaryllis Fleming Concert Hall. 

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Find out more about studying in the Royal College of Music Historical Performance Faculty which provides unparalleled training and performance opportunities.