Clare Hall is deeply saddened to learn of the death of Professor Kevin ‘Kit’ Thompson, who passed away peacefully at his home on Saturday 12 September 2026, aged 74.

Professor Thompson was an Associate and Life Member of Clare Hall, having first joined the College as a Visiting Fellow in Performing Arts in 2019. He maintained a close connection with the College and was most recently celebrated by Clare Hall following his induction into the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.

A musician, conductor and educator, Professor Thompson had a distinguished international career spanning higher education, the performing arts and cultural leadership. After completing doctoral studies in music and education at University College London and undertaking a Winston Churchill Fellowship at the Juilliard School in New York, he went on to lead a number of prominent arts institutions in the UK and Asia.

In 1988, at the age of 35, he became the founding Principal of Birmingham Conservatoire, making him the youngest university president in the UK at the time. He later served as President of Dartington College of Arts from 1993 to 2004, before moving to Hong Kong to lead the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts.

Professor Thompson subsequently became the founding Master of Moon Chun Memorial College at the University of Macau, where he played an important role in the development of the University’s residential college system. His work there reflected a longstanding commitment to education beyond the classroom, encouraging students’ cultural, personal and intellectual development alongside their academic studies.

Throughout his career, Professor Thompson was a passionate advocate for music, arts education and cultural exchange, and his contributions were recognised internationally. He was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) for services to the arts and cultural exchange, and received honours from France including the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres and the Légion d’honneur. He was also awarded the Grand Decoration of Honour for Services to the Republic of Austria, presented at the Austrian Embassy in London in 2019. He was elected to the European Academy of Sciences and Arts and, in 2022, to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. In that same year, he received the Sino-Phil Asia International Peace Award in recognition of his contribution to performing arts education and youth development. He was also made a Knight of Rizal of the Philippines.

His achievements were further recognised through honorary doctorates from institutions including the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire, the University of Plymouth and Goldsmiths, University of London, which awarded him an honorary doctorate in 2023.

Professor Thompson leaves a remarkable legacy across music, arts education and international cultural life. Clare Hall extends its deepest condolences to his family, friends, colleagues and all those who knew and worked with him.

Funeral arrangements will be shared with members in due course.