Richard Polfreman

Dr. Richard Polfreman is an Associate Professor in the Music Department at the University of Southampton. He serves as the Academic Integrity Officer, Examinations Officer, and Head of Music Technology. His research focuses on New Interfaces for Musical Expression (NIME), music and movement interactions, user-interface design, and Human-Computer Interaction (HCI). He leads projects like 'Moving Music' exploring gesture-based control and collaborates with institutions such as Bournemouth University on graphical interpolator systems.

Education: PhD in user-interface design for software-based sound synthesis systems from the University of Hertfordshire. His teaching spans Music Technology History, MIDI Sequencing, and Game Sound Design. Notable industry collaborations include work with Sound Intermedia on avant-garde compositions by composers like Benedict Mason and Jonathan Harvey.

Current projects include machine learning-driven gestural control for sound synthesis and the MusicSpace initiative funded by the Arts & Humanities Research Council. His work bridges musicology, technology, and accessibility, with recent emphases on musculoskeletal health in performance and live electronics.