About
Richard Barrett is Professor of Research in Creative Music at the Academy of Creative and Performing Arts (ACPA) at Leiden University. He also teaches at the Institute of Sonology at the Royal Conservatoire of The Hague (KC) where he directs the Sonology Electroacoustic Ensemble, and supervises doctoral students at both Leiden University and the Orpheus Institute. His work bridges academic research with active creative practice as both composer and performer.
Barrett's research centers on developing innovative concepts for integrating improvisation with other compositional methods. His work explores how improvisation functions as a compositional method in both pedagogical contexts and creative practice. He examines the relationship between traditional notation and spontaneous creation, and investigates ways to combine acoustic instruments with electronic/digital technology in meaningful ways that create what he terms 'a collective creative personality' from diverse musical backgrounds.
His major publications include Music of Possibility (2019), which originated from his doctoral thesis at the University of Leeds, and Transforming Moments (2023), based on three years of research with the KC Lectorate Music, Education & Society. His research report A YEAR IN THE LIFE OF THE SONOLOGY ELECTROACOUSTIC ENSEMBLE (2022) documents the development of his ensemble work.
Barrett directs the Sonology Electroacoustic Ensemble, which he established in 2009. The ensemble brings together students, faculty, and occasional guests to explore collaborative improvisation combining acoustic and electronic instruments. It performs regularly and conducts intensive workshops that serve as both creative practice and pedagogical research. His approach emphasizes that improvisation should be viewed as a complete method of composition with sophisticated possibilities, rather than merely a supplementary skill for musicians.
