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One of the UK’s leading jazz musicians has been sacked from his teaching post at a royal college amid concerns over his relationship with a female student.
Professor Tommy Smith was told to stay away from classes at the Royal Conservatoire Scotland (RCS) in Glasgow after the issue was raised with bosses.
Now, following an investigation by the famous institute - of which King Charles is patron - he’s been dismissed from the RCS.
Saxophonist Smith, 58 – who was awarded an OBE in 2019 - was head of jazz at the Conservatoire for 16 years and established the Scottish National Jazz Orchestra and Tommy Smith Youth Jazz Orchestra.
He’s credited with inspiring generations of young musicians, has toured the world with the Gary Burton Quintet and has 30 solo albums and a record label to his name.
Former Conservatoire students include Doctor Who stars Ncuti Gatwa and David Tennant, Hollywood actor James McAvoy, as well as Richard Madden , Alan Cumming and Jack Lowden.
Violinist Nicola Benedetti was made its honorary president in 2022.
A Conservatoire spokesman confirmed: ‘Following a disciplinary investigation and hearing, Tommy Smith has been dismissed.
‘RCS has robust policies in place to ensure the safety and well-being of students and staff.’
A source close the Conservatoire confirmed that the allegations related to his relationship with a female student who was over the age of 18.
A source revealed: ‘Tommy is a very self-confident man which, coupled with his reputation, gives him a definite magnetism in jazz circles.
‘But it came as a shock when somebody with such standing ended up being suspended from what is a very prestigious post.
‘The tip-off to the Royal Conservatoire came from a third party and, given the nature of the allegations, they had little option other than to suspend Tommy.
‘We all hoped a brilliant musician and tutor could get back to work as soon as possible.
‘It’s hard to overestimate what he has done for jazz in Scotland. He’s a generational talent.
‘But the Conservatoire clearly couldn’t see a way back for him.’
Mr Smith was a teenage prodigy, raised in the working-class Wester Hailes district of Edinburgh.
First picking up the tenor saxophone at the age of twelve, within two years he was winning awards for his playing.
At 16, he won a place at Berklee College of Music in Boston, US, with his fees covered by the Scottish International Education Trust, endowed by Sean Connery with the £1.2 million he was paid for starring in the Bond film Diamonds Are Forever.
During his career, he campaigned for the genre to be available to study in his home country.
Mr Smith told the Scottish Parliament in 2007: ‘Jazz is a serious music and is the passport to understanding all musical art forms.
‘When young musicians open their imaginations to jazz music they then have a skeleton key to open the door of any musical genre.
‘It takes talent, dedication and a country’s foresight.’
His plea was heard and he himself became head of jazz at the RCS in 2009, being made a professor a year later.
In an interview in 2023, Mr Smith was asked what advice he would give his younger self, and answered: ‘Don’t get married, ever!’
In another interview he recounted meeting Queen Elizabeth II to receive his OBE and said he was keen to quiz her on a story he’d heard.
It concerned jazz legend Duke Ellington, who wrote and recorded a suite after meeting The Queen in 1958.
Ellington was said to have only made one gold disc which he posted to Buckingham Palace, before destroying the written music.
Mr Smith said he had asked the Queen if she remembered the recording, and recounted ‘her eyes lit up, and I could see it was true’.
The RCS is one of the most prestigious academies for the performing arts in the world and boasts King Charles as its patron.
The monarch, who was first appointed Patron of the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland in 2003, retained his patronage in 2024.
Established in the 19th century as the Glasgow Athenaeum, the Royal college has evolved through multiple changes of title.
In 2011, it was renamed the RCS after several decades as the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama.
It counts Hollywood stars, cultural leaders, arts advocates, and more among its alumni.
Former students include Doctor Who stars Ncuti Gatwa and David Tennant, Hollywood actor James McAvoy, as well as Richard Madden, Alan Cumming and Jack Lowden.
Violinist Nicola Benedetti was made its honorary president in 2022.
Apart from specialist teaching for full-time students, the RCS also offers short courses for primary and secondary-age children.
Mr Smith and his representatives have been approached for comment.
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