International opera soprano and educator Jane Irwin has been appointed Head of Vocal Performance at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, the college has today announced.

Irwin will join the RCS in April from her current role as Professor of Singing at the Royal Northern College of Music, where she’ll head the department. Alumni of the department includes Catriona Morison, Anush Hovhannisyan and Dominic Barberi who, in 2017, were finalists in the Cardiff Singer of the World competition, with Catriona winning both the song prize and the overall competition first prize. Soprano Svetlina Stoyanova, also an alumna, won the prestigious German competition Neue Stimmen during her studies at RCS.

Irwin's career has taken her all over the UK, Europe and America, from New York’s Carnegie Hall to London’s Royal Opera House. Speaking on her appointment, Jane Irwin said: 'I just landed my dream job! It will be a privilege to work alongside such experienced and talented teachers, helping to nurture the next generation of singers in the safe and stimulating environment that the RCS provides.'

Professor Aaron Shorr, Director of Music at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, said: 'Jane Irwin’s highly distinguished career has taken her around the world, and she brings a wealth of experience from the concert stage along with her record of achievement as one of the country’s finest voice teachers. We are thrilled to have an artist of Jane’s calibre at the helm of our Vocal Performance department and look forward to welcoming Jane to RCS in April when she will begin her new role.'

Jane studied music at Lancaster University and singing at the Royal Northern College of Music. As a concert and recital singer, she has performed at the BBC Proms, the Wigmore Hall, the Edinburgh International Festival, the Concertgebouw, Boston Symphony Hall and the Musikverein, Vienna. Operatic appearances have included Ring Cycles at Bayreuth, ROH and Scottish Opera, and other leading roles with Deutsche Oper, Berlin, San Francisco Opera, Chicago Lyric Opera and the major British companies.

www.rcs.ac.uk