Terence Charlston

Terence Charlston is a distinguished Professor of Harpsichord and Chair of Historical Keyboard Instruments at the Royal College of Music (RCM), London. He holds honorary Fellowship status at the RCM (2020) and is a leading expert in early keyboard instruments, specializing in harpsichord, clavichord, and organ performance. His roles include soloist, conductor, academic researcher, and doctoral supervisor. Charlston’s research focuses on 17th- and 18th-century European keyboard music, counterpoint analysis, and historical performance practices. He has pioneered projects involving rare instruments and manuscripts, such as recordings of Carlo Ignazio Monza and William Byrd’s My Ladye Nevell Booke.

As a educator, Charlston has shaped historical performance training at institutions like the Royal Academy of Music, founding its Historical Performance Department in 1995. His publications span musicology, performance practice, and instrument studies, with notable works in Early Music and Clavichord International. He actively promotes clavichord revival through recordings (e.g., Froberger: Complete Fantasias) and collaborations with ensembles like Florilegium. His current research explores counterpoint as an aural experience, bridging historical analysis and contemporary performance.

• Awards: Honorary Fellowship of the RCM (2020).
• Students: Supervises Zsombor Toth-Vajna (doctoral candidate).
• Key Projects: Phylogenetic analysis of Bach’s Well-Tempered Clavier, editions of Locke’s organ music, and clavichord initiatives at RCM.

Charlston’s work integrates scholarly rigor with artistic innovation, positioning him as a pivotal figure in early music revival and academic research.