Nicholas Sears has been Head of the Royal College of Music (RCM) Vocal Faculty for ten years, having performed as a professional opera and concert soloist, vocal artist manager (Intermusica) and voice teacher at the Royal Northern College of Music (RNCM). This wide-ranging experience has permitted Nicholas to view the training of singers in a holistic manner, balancing the development of artistry and vocal technique with a clear understanding of the requirements of pursuing a successful career as a classical singer. The RCM Vocal Faculty enjoys an international reputation as being one of the finest training centres for singers with an unrivalled record for placing singers at the highest levels within the profession. The ethos of the Faculty is positive with a clear goal to enable each individual to fulfil their potential and to help equip them perform with confidence and artistry.
As a professional soloist, Nicholas has performed with the English National Opera, Welsh National Opera, Opera North, Scottish Opera, Garsington Festival, Liceu Barcelona, La Monnaie Brussels, Der Vlaamse Opera, Lausanne, Bilbao, Porto, Lisbon, Braunschweig English Touring Opera and Buxton Opera. As a concert soloist, he has performed in venues including the Wigmore Hall, Royal Festival Hall, Queen Elizabeth Hall, Purcell Room, Barbican Centre, Royal Albert Hall, Aldeburgh Festival, Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia and the Palais des Beaux-Arts in Brussels, under the direction of conductors including Sir Simon Rattle, David Atherton, Ivor Bolton, René Jacobs, Harry Christophers and Harry Bickett. As a recitalist, he was a member of the Songmakers’ Almanac, performing at the Wigmore Hall, South Bank Centre, Aldeburgh Festivals. He has recorded the works of Handel with Rinaldo Alessandrini and performed on concert tours throughout Europe and South America, and made a BBC film of Janacek’s Jenufa directed by Katie Mitchell.
Nicholas has given masterclasses in both the United States, Europe and Russia as well as sat on numerous juries and being a Trustee of the National Youth Choirs of Great Britain. Nicholas is delighted to make a return visit to NAFA.