Stephen Rose studied at the Royal College and subsequently worked for Welsh National Opera as a repetiteur and harpsichordist, before spending a period at the Staatstheater Kassel in Germany. As a freelance accompanist and vocal coach, he has performed on the South Bank and all the major British Festivals, including Edinburgh and Glyndebourne. He broadcasts regularly, and currently is a professor at the Guildhall School of Music and coach for the National Opera Studio.