Thomas Allery

Basso Continuo professor

Thomas Allery enjoys a varied career as a director, organist and early keyboard player. He is currently based in London, where he divides his time between performing, teaching, and research.

Having originally trained at the University of Oxford, Thomas subsequently studied organ and harpsichord at the Royal College of Music before pursuing an Artist Diploma in harpsichord at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama. His teachers have included Margaret Phillips, Terence Charlston, Carole Cerasi and James Johnstone. Generous sponsorship from the Eric Thompson Trust enabled him to pursue specialist tuition in early organ techniques with Erwin Wiersinga at the Martinikerk in Groningen.?

Collaboration plays an important part in Thomas' work. He is in demand as a continuo player with a range of leading ensembles in the field of historical performance and opera. Thomas regularly performs with the orchestra of The Sixteen, and is a founding member of the award-winning period group Ensemble Hesperi, with whom he has toured, recorded and broadcast widely. Hesperi has gained a reputation for its innovative research-led programming, for its pioneering work promoting rarely-heard Scottish eighteenth-century music, and for its dynamic collaborations with guest artists including actors, singers, and dancers.?

In 2023, Thomas was appointed as Director of Music at Temple Church, London, renowned for its centuries-long tradition of choral excellence. Here he directs and trains the professional choirs in a busy programme of services and concerts, regularly working with period orchestras and commissioning works from leading composers. Thomas also leads Temple Church’s choral education and outreach programme for young musicians aged 7 to 21, working to widen access to the English choral tradition.

At the RCM, Thomas works with continuo students, helping them to develop fluency in keyboard harmony, stylistic awareness, and chamber music skills, equipping them for a wide variety of roles within the music profession. In his teaching, Thomas draws upon current research in historical music pedagogy, and his own work in this field seeks to shed light on pedagogical approaches of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, reshaping these into teaching materials for students today.

Selected Publications

Allery, Thomas (2023) ‘Thorough Bass Made Easy: The Pedagogical Value of Figured Bass in Musical Education Today in Figured Bass Accompaniment in Europe, ed. Livio Ticli, Brepolis, 343-358.

Selected Recordings

Ensemble Hesperi (2024) A Gift for your Garden, BIS Records 2508

Ensemble Hesperi (2021) Full of the Highland Humours, EM Records, EMRCD074

Find out more about Thomas Visit website

Faculties / departments: Historical Performance