Kirk Sullivan

Kirk Sullivan is a Lecturer in Music and Ethnomusicology at the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa. He holds an MA from the University of Maryland (2014) and a PhD from UH Mānoa (2021). His research focuses on Pacific Island music, particularly Cook Islands musical traditions in homelands and diaspora communities, emphasizing identity formation through music.

He teaches introductory to graduate-level ethnomusicology courses (e.g., MUS 107, 407, 657) across UH campuses. Sullivan has conducted fieldwork in the Solomon Islands (2012), Cook Islands, and New Zealand (2015–2019), using archival recordings, field observations, and performance-based research. His work integrates musical analysis with sociocultural contexts.

Professional activities include co-curator roles for the East-West Center’s musical instrument exhibits and Festival of Pacific Arts, internships at the Library of Congress, and volunteer work at the Bishop Museum. He performs as a tenor in the O‘ahu Choral Society and Hawai‘i Opera Theatre, and as a Scottish Highland bagpiper for cultural events like Queen Elizabeth’s Platinum Jubilee Celebration.

Dr. Sullivan received the Korean Presidential Award in 2024, recognizing his contributions to ethnomusicology. His research bridges traditional performance practices with contemporary cultural dynamics, particularly in Pacific Islander communities.