ABOUT KATHLEEN
About
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Kathleen is a musician and researcher, living and working in Scotland.
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Musical training and work
Kathleen first studied for an MA in French and Gaelic Studies at The University of Aberdeen before moving on to graduate from the Bachelor of Music Degree at The Ian Tomlin Academy of Music at Edinburgh Napier University with 1st class honours, also winning The Harold Gray Prize for Singing. After spending time working in London as a Talent Scout for a music management company, she then returned to Scotland and graduated with Distinction from the MMus in Vocal Music (Conducting) at The University of Aberdeen. Kathleen has been awarded a number of scholarships and prizes including The James Lobban Conducting Scholarship, The Carnegie-Cameron Taught Postgraduate Bursary and a King’s College Chapel Scholarship.
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Since graduating, Kathleen has worked as a conductor and singing teacher with companies including Scottish Opera and The National Theatre of Scotland, has performed at events such as EuroPride and the Sound Festival, and has worked with a wide variety of musicians including James MacMillan and Diana Burrell. She is currently the Musical Director of Loud & Proud, Scotland's LGBT+ choir and also works as a singing teacher at the North East of Scotland Music School.
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Research
Kathleen is also a researcher, having received her PhD in Education with Music from the University of Aberdeen in 2021, with her thesis focusing on singers' expectations of choral conductors in the UK. The thesis includes a model of Voice-centred Conductorship which can be used as the basis for designing and running rehearsals and concerts which take account of the singers' needs during the process. Kathleen's doctoral thesis, "Voice-Centred Conductorship": An exploration of singers’ expectations of UK-based choral leaders, is available in the University of Aberdeen's library.
She is now the Research Officer for LGBT Youth Scotland. Most recently she led the Life in Scotland for LGBT Young People research, which is the largest piece of research to date focusing on LGBT Young people in Scotland and can be downloaded here: Life In Scotland For LGBT Young People 2022.
