British pianist Jacob Swindells held the position of the Sir John Fisher Foundation Junior Repetiteur Fellow at the Royal Northern College of Music from 2021 to 2023. He previously earned a Bachelor of Arts in Music from Oxford University and a Master of Music in Choral Conducting from Yale School of Music.
As the repetiteur for RNCM Opera, he worked on productions such as Ariadne auf Naxos, Menotti’s The Medium, Le nozze di Figaro, Die Fledermaus, and Jonathan Dove’s Mansfield Park, collaborating with conductors like Peter Robinson, Peter Whelan, David Parry, and Lee Reynolds. He performed in the pit orchestra for Ariadne auf Naxos, played fortepiano continuo in Le nozze di Figaro, and accompanied masterclasses with Dame Ann Murray. Additionally, he showcased various operatic excerpts for RNCM Opera Scenes and served as chorus master and vocal coach for Explore@RNCM’s production of Sondheim’s Into the Woods.
Jacob worked as an assistant music director for Cavalleria Rusticana/Pagliacci (Opera on Location) and as a repetiteur for a semi-staged performance of the same piece with the Slaithwaite Philharmonic Orchestra. He also participated in La Sonnambula at Buxton International Festival.
In the realm of recitals, he has performed in opera galas for the Bridgewater Hall Lunchtime series in Manchester, Grange-Over-Sands Concert Club, and Live at St Wilfrid’s. He had the privilege of accompanying soprano Rachel Speirs in a gala concert to celebrate the 120th anniversary of the Buxton Opera House.
Jacob holds a licentiate piano diploma from the Guildhall School of Music and Drama and has studied under the guidance of Anthony Purkiss, Graham Fitch, and Kevin Thraves.
Jacob is a Nicholas John Scholar.
Updated December 2023. This biography should not be reproduced without asking permission from the National Opera Studio.