Timothy Brown succeeded John Rutter as Director of Music at Clare in 1979, when he was also appointed Director of Studies in Music and a Fellow. He has also held the post of College Praelector, responsible for the ceremonies surrounding degree ceremonies. He relinquished the Directorship of Music in 2010, but continues as Praelector. In 2009 he handed over the job of Director of Studies to the College’s Russian music scholar, Marina Frolova-Walker, though he continues as a supervisor for the Music Tripos. During his thirty-one years as Director of Music, he greatly widened the scope and activities of the chapel Choir, and devoted considerable amounts of time to encouraging instrumental music in the College, which has one of the most active music societies in the University.
Tim Brown is joint Director of the Cambridge University Chamber Choir, which he re-founded over twenty years ago. He is also Visiting Director of Chapel Music at Robinson College, where he mentors the college organ scholars and choir. Outside Cambridge he is Artistic Director of the Zürcher Sing-Akademie, which is associated with the Tonhalle Orchestra, and is active as a freelance conductor and chorus-master. He continues to pursue an interest in composing and editing of music, and is on the editorial panel of the complete works of William Walton (Oxford University Press).