Claire is a singer, singing teacher and voice researcher. She currently lectures in singing on the Musical Theatre programmes at The Royal Conservatoire of Scotland and runs a private singing studio just outside Edinburgh.
She is an alumnus of Glasgow University, Edinburgh University, The Royal Northern College of Music and The Royal Conservatoire of Scotland. Claire has recently completed her Professional Doctorate in Elite Performance, with a focus on muscle tension dysphonia in the Musical Theatre voice.
She has produced an illustrated book of vocal anatomy for singers which will be published shortly. Claire is delighted to be a part the Voice Study Centre team.
Publications:
Methods of Measuring Laryngeal Muscle Tension in Patients with Muscle Tension Dysphonia: A Scoping Review https://www.jvoice.org/article/S0892-1997(23)00106-6/fulltext
The Additional Demands on the Musical Theatre Performer and Potential Links to Increased Laryngeal Tension: A Rapid Review https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.28925741
Featured Posts
Director & Team News
Congratulations to Dr Claire Thomas on Graduating with Her Professional Doctorate! 🎓
Voice Study Centre
Wednesday 15th July 2026Congratulations to Dr Claire Thomas on graduating with her Professional Doctorate in Elite Performance. We celebrate this significant milestone and recognise her dedication to voice research, vocal pedagogy, and higher education.
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Director & Team News
VSC Lecturer and Alumna Named Finalists for the Van Lawrence BVA Award
Voice Study Centre
Wednesday 10th December 2025Congratulations are in order, as one of our much-loved Senior Lecturers and one of our wonderful alumni have been selected as finalists for the Van Lawrence British Voice Association Award!
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Director & Team News
Voice Study Centre Senior Lecturer Claire Thomas Publishes in the International Journal of Music and Performing Arts
Voice Study Centre
Monday 19th May 2025We're excited to share that Voice Study Centre’s very own Claire Thomas has just had her latest paper published! Check it out here!
Read More...Upcoming Short Courses
Friday 2nd October 2026
12:30 PM - 2:30 PM
(London Time)
Muscle Tension Dysphonia in the Singing Voice!
Dr Claire Thomas
Join Dr Claire Thomas for a practical 2-hour workshop for singing teachers and voice practitioners! Building upon the previous course to create a practical teacher pathway in order to recognise what is happening, reduce unnecessary effort, transfer coordination into singing, manage load and recovery and know when to refer back. Not one size fits all, but a guide to making informed choices with voice users. Based on a five-year investigative project, the course equips singing teachers with the knowledge and practical tools needed to confidently understand MTD, and support singers experiencing MTD beyond their initial therapeutic input.
Past Short Courses
Tuesday 17th February 2026
10:00 AM - 12:00 PM
(London Time)
Simultaneous Singing and Dancing in Musical Theatre: A Cross-Disciplinary Evidence Review
Debbie Winter
Dr Claire Thomas
This short course invites participants to critically examine the latest cross-disciplinary evidence on the physical and vocal demands of musical theatre performance. Drawing on a comprehensive literature review conducted by Debbie Winter and Claire Thomas (Voice Study Centre, University of Essex), the course explores research from voice science, dance medicine, sports science, and performance pedagogy.