Repetiteur Scholarship

Past holders of the award

Felicity Leabeater
Joseph Atkins
Daniel Swain
Dale Wills
Alice Newton
Timothy Motz
Matthew Hawken
Jonathon Swinard
Benjamin Holder

Summary:
St Catherine’s College and New Chamber Opera (www.newchamberopera.co.uk) have established a Répétiteur Scholarship for pianists wishing to further their skills as a répétiteur, accompanist or conductor. Holders of the Scholarship will be appropriately qualified undergraduate members of St Catherine’s College, reading Music or another approved subject. It is intended that the successful applicant will divide his or her scholarship time between St Catherine’s College and New Chamber Opera, assisting in rehearsals, performances and with the training of singers for New Chamber Opera, and helping to organise and run practical musical activities in St Catherine’s.

Terms of the scholarship:
i) Funded jointly by St Catherine’s College and New Chamber Opera, the scholarship is worth £400 per annum.
ii) The College may appoint up to one new Scholar per year, subject to the application procedure detailed below.
iii) Scholarships are held for the duration of the undergraduate’s academic course; students spending a year abroad as part of their course will not act as Répétiteur during this time.
iv) When there is more than one Scholar, their commitments will be divided as mutually agreed.
v) The Scholarship will entail an average time commitment of 10 hours a week, plus personal practice. It is expected that this will be split equally between St Catherine’s and NCO, except during the run-up to performances when the distribution of workload will be adjusted accordingly. The division of work between appointed Scholars is decided by mutual agreement, subject to termly academic and examination commitments.
vi) Scholars will rent accommodation in the usual way, but will be entitled to one of the College’s larger rooms with an electronic piano and internal phone line. In the 2nd and 3rd year, they will have priority selection in JCR room ballot.
vii) The College makes an annual allowance of £200 for instrumental lessons for Répétiteur Scholars. Special additional funds from New Chamber Opera of not more than £200 per annum will enable the Scholar to take extra personal instrumental lessons; these can be negotiated as required but are primarily intended for lessons on keyboards other than piano. [Note: Scholars who are not reading Music may apply to the College for additional funding as specific needs arise.]
viii) In the College, the Scholar will, by mutual agreement, be expected to assist (as director and/or accompanist) with musical performances, and other events or acts of worship, some of which might occasionally fall outside normal term periods. These are most likely to include:
a. Directing/accompanying the Chamber Choir and organising the termly concerts.
b. Accompanying musical performances and auditions in College – esp. the annual Leask Scholar Auditions.
c. Coordinating or assisting the musical elements of the College’s annual artistic presentation – the Bullock Event.
d. Maintaining an active role on the College Music Society Committee and championing the musical activities of St Catherine’s, both in and out of College.
The Scholar, along with other music students, is also responsible for the weekly bookings of the College Music House and the appropriate use of the space.
ix) At New Chamber Opera, the Scholar will be appointed as one of the resident répétiteurs. This position will entail the accompanying/training of singers for the company’s performances, some of which may fall outside normal term periods. Duties include:
a. accompanying musical and stage rehearsals.
b. being available to accompany the company’s lunchtime vocal recital series.
c. assisting in other aspects of the company, particularly with production planning.
Répétiteurs will usually be required to be available for the Company’s Summer Opera in early July.
x) Both St Catherine’s College and New Chamber Opera reserve the right to terminate an individual’s scholarship, should the terms and conditions outlined above not be met to an adequate standard.

Entrance procedure
Applications are invited from suitable candidates at St Catherine’s, who will normally, but not necessarily, be intending to read Music. Candidates should present a strong academic profile and be able to satisfy the Oxford entry requirement; they should also be pianists with a high standard of solo performance and proven sight-reading and accompanying ability. The evaluation of applicants will normally take place during or after the December admissions exercise, when applicants may be called for a separate audition. Those interested in the Scholarship should make this known when applying for a place at St Catherine’s by entering “Répétiteur Award” in the “further details” section of their UCAS application; it may also be possible to make applications after an offer from St Catherine’s has been made.

Enquiries in the first instance to:
The Deputy College Registrar – Admissions: [email protected] (01865 271703)

For further information, please contact:
Prof. Peter Franklin Tutor in Music St. Catherine’s College Oxford OX1 3UJ (email: [email protected])
or:
Dr Michael Burden: [email protected]