About
Adam Whittaker serves as Associate Professor in Music and Head of Pedagogy at the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire, Birmingham City University. An internationally recognized scholar, he holds a Fellowship of the Higher Education Academy and has delivered invited lectures at Heidelberg University, Oxford University institutions (Bodleian Libraries, All Souls College), the Royal College of Music, and All-Party Parliamentary Groups.
His research centers on historical transformations in musical pedagogy and their implications for contemporary teaching practices, with significant contributions to medieval/Renaissance musical theory and early music reception history. Current projects include examining exemplarity traditions in historical music theory and modern music education frameworks.
Whittaker's scholarly impact extends to policy debates through House of Lords discussions and APPG presentations, alongside media commentary for BBC Radio 3's Music Matters, Radio 4's Rethinking Music, and national newspapers.
His accolades include:
- Fellow of the Higher Education Academy
- Albi Rosenthal Visiting Fellowship in Music (Bodleian Library, Oxford, 2019)
As Chair of the Plainsong & Medieval Music Society and member of the Cantus Governing Council, he actively shapes music education discourse through advisory roles and research leadership, including the AHRC Network 'Representing Classical Music in the 21st Century'.
