Professor Emma Widdis is a leading scholar at the Faculty of Modern and Medieval Languages and Linguistics at the University of Cambridge, specializing in the intersection of Soviet cinema, ideology, and cultural geography. Her work explores the reeducation of sensory perception through film, early Soviet urban spaces, and the construction of subjectivity via cinematic techniques. Teaches 20th-century Russian/Soviet literature, cinema, and film theory Focuses on sensory engagement, political avant-garde, and urban spatial representation Supervisor for MPhil and PhD students in Slavonic Studies Her recent book Socialist Senses (2017) examines how cinema shaped Soviet perceptions of reality. Her publications span topics like silence in sound film, set design materiality, and costume symbolism in early Soviet cinema. While no formal scientific awards are listed, her research has been supported through institutional grants and collaborations with centers like CRASSH and Cambridge Language Sciences.
Jan Herbst is a Professor of Music at the University of Huddersfield and Director of the Centre for Research in Music and its Technologies. His academic journey includes multiple doctorates (PhD, Dr. habil.) from Leuphana University Lüneburg and research expertise in popular music studies, music production, and systematic musicology. He leads AHRC-funded projects such as 'Heaviness in Metal Music Production' and 'Songwriting Camps in the 21st Century.' His work bridges practical music production and theoretical research, with over 80 publications including books like The Cambridge Companion to Metal Music and Heaviness in Metal Music Production . Herbst’s research focuses on metal music aesthetics, record production techniques, and the cultural dimensions of music technology. He has held roles at German and Swiss universities, including teaching guitar performance and music production. His editorial roles include the Cambridge Companions series and journals like Metal Music Studies . Current projects explore blockchain in music, gear acquisition syndrome, and extreme metal vocal techniques. His academic affiliations include the IASPM UK & I executive committee and editorial boards for major musicology publications. Herbst actively engages with industry through collaborations with producers and performers, maintaining a balance between academic rigor and practical music creation.
Oliver Chandler is a Senior Lecturer in Music at the University of Oxford and holds multiple lecturing roles at Hertford College, Keble College, St Hugh's College, and Queen's College. He also serves as an academic professor at the Royal College of Music. His research focuses on music analysis, particularly in British music, chromaticism, and tonal theory, with notable works on Edward Elgar, Reginald Smith Brindle, and guitar repertoire. Chandler has been awarded the 2024 Adele Katz Early Career Researcher Award for his contributions to music theory. His research interests span music theory, including (neo-)Riemannian theory, Schenkerian analysis, and guitar studies. He co-authored Return to Riemann: Tonal Function and Chromatic Music (2024) and edited Born by the Thames: Stephen Dodgson, a Centenary Celebration (2024). His work often bridges historical and analytical approaches, exploring topics like Elgar’s chamber music and the interplay of tonality and serialism. Awards: Adele Katz Early Career Researcher Award (2024) Editorial Roles: Member of Soundboard Scholar editorial board and Cambridge Cohort for Guitar Research Grants & Collaboration: Collaborations on projects including analyses of Elgar’s works and studies on British modernist composers. Chandler’s publications span journals such as Music & Letters and Music Analysis , with a focus on analytical methodologies and British musical heritage. His research underscores the enduring relevance of tonal frameworks in understanding 20th-century music.
Seb Falk is a College Fellow and Research Fellow at Girton College, University of Cambridge, and a Senior Admissions Tutor. He holds academic roles including Praelector and Director of Studies for the Cambridge Foundation Year. His research focuses on medieval mathematical sciences, particularly astronomy, navigation, and the history of scientific instruments and texts. Falk earned a BA in History and Spanish from Oxford University, followed by an MPhil and PhD in History and Philosophy of Science from Cambridge. His research explores the interplay between religion, literature, and science in the Middle Ages, challenging the 'Dark Ages' narrative. Key projects include studies on late medieval astronomical tables and instruments, and a global comparative analysis of natural sciences around the year 1000. Falk has published widely, including the acclaimed book The Light Ages (2020), which was shortlisted for the Hughes Prize and awarded the Osterbrock Prize in 2025. His articles span topics like medieval astronomical practices, manuscript studies, and the cultural history of science. Falk is also a sought-after media contributor, appearing on BBC programs and podcasts, and has engaged in public outreach through lectures and museum collaborations.
Ben Marsden is a Senior Lecturer in History of Science and Technology at the University of Aberdeen's School of Divinity, History, Philosophy and Art History, where he previously served as Head of the Department of History (2018-2023). His administrative roles include Deputy Head of School (2009-2011) and Director of the Centre for the History and Philosophy of Science, Technology and Medicine (2010-2011, 2012-present). Education includes: BA (MA) Hons in Mathematics, University of Cambridge (1987) Certificate of Advanced Study in Mathematics (MMath), University of Cambridge (1988) PhD in History, Philosophy and Social Relations of Science, University of Kent (1992) His research explores the cultural history of science and technology in 18th-19th century Britain, particularly engineering history, science-music relationships, and technological culture. He specializes in historical epistemology of engineering, urban knowledge production, and interdisciplinary studies bridging science with cultural practices. Current projects include a comprehensive biography of engineer W.J.M. Rankine. Publications demonstrate consistent focus on historical epistemology of engineering, Victorian scientific institutions, and technology's cultural impacts. Recent works examine mechanics philosophy, telecommunications history, and urban knowledge systems, showing methodological emphasis on material culture and institutional analysis. Awards and fellowships: British Academy Postdoctoral Fellow (1993-1995) Royal Society-British Academy Fellow in History of Science (1995-2000) Dibner Institute Senior Fellow at MIT/Harvard (2005-2006) He currently accepts PhD students in History and has led AHRC-funded projects on steamship cultural history. Collaborations include ongoing work with National Museum of Scotland. As editor of Notes & Records of the Royal Society (2015-2018), he shaped significant historical scholarship dissemination.
Dr. Philip Kirby is a Senior Lecturer in the History of Education at King’s College London’s School of Education, Communication & Society. He joined in 2020 after roles at the University of Oxford, the Sutton Trust, and the University of Exeter. His research focuses on the historical and social dimensions of specific learning difficulties like dyslexia and dyspraxia, alongside children’s culture and education policy. His notable work includes Dyslexia: A History (2022, co-authored with Prof. Margaret J. Snowling) and entries in encyclopedias like Palgrave Encyclopedia of Disability . He also explores geopolitical themes in media, including film scores and video games. Recent projects include Delphi studies on dyslexia assessment and policy reform. His research spans education policy, private tuition dynamics, and the intersection of popular culture with disability ethics. He actively contributes to interdisciplinary initiatives like the Centre for Public Policy Research, addressing social justice in education and policy.
David De Roure is Professor of e-Research at the University of Oxford and Academic Director of both the Digital Scholarship initiative and the Laboratory for AI Security Research. He is also an Honorary Research Professor at the Royal Northern College of Music (RNCM), where he serves as Technical Director of the Centre for Practice & Research in Science & Music (PRiSM). His work bridges computer science, digital humanities, cybersecurity, and music through his distinctive interdisciplinary approach. De Roure received his PhD in 1990 supervised by David W Barron and Peter Henderson, with research in Lisp and distributed systems. Prior to joining Oxford in 2010, he was Professor of Computer Science at the University of Southampton and Director of the Centre for Pervasive Computing in the Environment. His career spans multiple institutions and research domains, reflecting his commitment to interdisciplinary work. De Roure's research focuses on new methods of digital scholarship, innovation in knowledge infrastructure, cybersecurity, and computational approaches to music. His work uniquely combines humanities (digital musicology), social sciences (social machines and web science), engineering (Internet of Things), and computer science (distributed systems, AI). A key theme is empowering human creativity through technology rather than replacing humans with AI. He emphasizes co-creation between humans and machines, particularly in music composition where he explores how algorithms can generate fragments for human assembly. His recent publications reveal a strong focus on AI security in IoT systems, digital scholarship methods, and the intersection of music with computational approaches. There's a clear trajectory from foundational work in social machines and web science toward current applications in cybersecurity and music-AI co-creation. His publications consistently bridge technical domains with humanistic inquiry, demonstrating his commitment to interdisciplinary scholarship that addresses real-world challenges. Fellow of the British Computer Society (FBCS) Fellow of the Institute of Mathematics and its Applications (FIMA) Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts (FRSA) Chartered IT Professional (CITP) Turing Fellow at The Alan Turing Institute (2018-2024) De Roure has co-founded three major interdisciplinary initiatives: PETRAS National Centre of Excellence for IoT Systems Cybersecurity (the world's largest socio-technical research center focused on IoT security), the Software Sustainability Institute (dedicated to improving research software), and PRiSM at RNCM. He was Director of the Oxford e-Research Centre from 2012-17 and has led numerous research projects including SOCIAM (The Theory and Practice of Social Machines), FAST (Fusing Audio and Semantic Technologies), and Transforming Musicology. The Laboratory for AI Security Research, which he directs, took its first PhD students in 2024. At Oxford, De Roure chairs the Digital Research Cluster at Wolfson College and oversees the Laboratory for AI Security Research. The PRiSM team at RNCM has produced numerous musical works and performances, including six premieres in New York in 2024. He has been involved in designing gesture recognition software used in many performances and has collaborated on public engagement projects including the Science Together project which released a Hip Hop album. His current work includes exploring Chladni Plates for new musical instrument design and developing algorithmically enhanced instruments.
Professor Stephen Broad is a musicologist and educator serving as Director of Research and Knowledge Exchange at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland. He holds a DPhil from the University of Oxford and has extensive experience in historical musicology, music education, and policy development. His research focuses on Olivier Messiaen, 1930s French music culture, and music practice in Scotland. Broad has authored/co-authored influential reports like What’s Going On? , which informed the Scottish Youth Music Initiative, and chairs the European Platform for Artistic Research in Music (EPARM). Education: DPhil in Historical Musicology, University of Oxford (2001) MA in Music and Physics, University of Glasgow (1997) Research Interests: Historical Musicology: Messiaen’s early career, French musical traditions, and music historiography Music Education: Pedagogy in diverse contexts, policy development, and workforce training Practice-Based Research: Philosophical frameworks and interdisciplinary methodologies Awards & Roles: External Examiner at Royal Academy of Music, Royal College of Music, and others Editorial boards for Music Education Research and Practice-Based Research Journal Recipient of grants including the Scottish Government’s £1m Musical Instrument Fund Advising & Grants: Supervised over 10 doctoral projects in musicology, performance, and education Contributed to policy initiatives like Creative Scotland’s music development programs Labs/Teams: Leads the Sciences, Humanities and Arts Research Exchange (SHARE) and chairs EPARM, fostering international collaboration in artistic research.
Edward Nesbit is Senior Lecturer in Composition at King's College London's Department of Music within the Faculty of Arts & Humanities. He studied at Cambridge University, Guildhall School of Music and Drama, and King's College London under Julian Anderson and George Benjamin. His compositions are regularly performed by major ensembles including the London Sinfonietta, BBC Symphony Orchestra, and Philharmonia Orchestra at venues like Wigmore Hall and Royal Festival Hall. Research interests focus on: Contemporary choral and vocal composition techniques Integration of literary and dramatic elements in musical works Collaborative performance practices Community music engagement methodologies Recent compositions demonstrate diverse approaches to narrative storytelling through music, with frequent exploration of biblical/historical themes and nature-inspired programmatic elements. His work includes collaborations with the Choir of King's College London, resulting in commercial recordings on the Delphian label. Nesbit has secured funding including an AHRC Impact Acceleration Award for community music projects. He leads the 'Singing for Wellbeing' initiative developing choral repertoire for community engagement and directs composition studies at undergraduate/postgraduate levels.
Anthony Gritten is Head of Undergraduate Programmes at the Royal Academy of Music in London. A distinguished scholar-performer, he completed his doctorate at Cambridge University on Stravinsky's neoclassical music under Alexander Goehr. As a Fellow of the Royal College of Organists, Gritten has given over 400 recitals across the UK, France, and Canada, establishing himself as a leading interpreter of organ repertoire. His academic journey includes positions at the University of East Anglia, the Royal Northern College of Music, and Middlesex University before his current leadership role at the Royal Academy of Music. Gritten's scholarly profile is marked by an interdisciplinary approach that bridges performance practice with philosophical inquiry. Gritten's research interests focus on the intersection of music, philosophy, and performance studies. His work explores musical gesture, the phenomenology of performance, and the philosophical dimensions of musical practice. He has made significant contributions to understanding the works of John Cage, Charles Rosen, and Stravinsky through the lens of performance philosophy. His research reveals how embodied experience shapes musical interpretation and how philosophical concepts manifest in performance practice. His scholarly output demonstrates a sustained engagement with questions of indeterminacy, distraction, and ecological awareness in musical performance. Gritten's work has helped establish Performance Philosophy as a legitimate field of academic inquiry, connecting practical musical concerns with broader philosophical questions about meaning, interpretation, and embodiment. Fellow of the Royal College of Organists Gritten has supervised numerous doctoral students in the field of performance philosophy and artistic research. His administrative leadership as Head of Undergraduate Programmes has shaped curriculum development at the Royal Academy of Music, emphasizing the integration of practical performance with theoretical and philosophical inquiry. He has been instrumental in developing research frameworks that validate practice-based research in music, contributing to the institutional recognition of artistic research as a legitimate scholarly pursuit.
Catherine Laws is a Professor of Music at the University of York, affiliated with the School of Arts and Creative Technologies. She holds a dual role as a musicologist and pianist specializing in contemporary music, with particular focus on interdisciplinary performance practices and the relationship between music and language. Her research explores collaboration, embodiment, and subjectivity in performance, alongside studies of Samuel Beckett’s musical intermediality. Laws maintains a Senior Artistic Research Fellowship at the Orpheus Institute in Ghent, leading the 'Performance, Subjectivity, and Experimentation' research cluster. Education: PhD in Music (University of York, 1996), MA and BA in Music (University of York) Her research spans two core areas: 1) performance-based studies examining performer agency, embodiment, and interdisciplinary collaboration through works like the multimedia Player Piano ; and 2) investigations into composers’ responses to literary texts, notably Beckett’s works. Key outputs include co-authored Voices, Bodies, Practices (2019) and edited Performance, Subjectivity, and Experimentation (2020). Her recent projects with filmmaker Minyung Im reimagine piano performances through film, blending sound, visual, and spatial elements. Publications reflect her dual focus: experimental music performance, Beckett studies, and collaborative art practices. Her work often bridges theory and practice, integrating compositional, performative, and audiovisual mediums.
Courtney N. Reed is a Lecturer in Digital Technologies at Loughborough University London, where she joined in November 2023. She maintains a dual role as a visiting research fellow at the Max Planck Institute for Informatics. Her academic journey includes a BMus in Electronic Production and Design from Berklee College of Music (2016), followed by an MSc (2018) and PhD (2023) in Computer Science from Queen Mary University of London. Prior to her current position, she completed postdoctoral research at both the Max Planck Institute for Informatics and King's College London. Bachelor of Music: Electronic Production and Design, Berklee College of Music (2016) Master of Science: Computer Science, Queen Mary University of London (2018) Doctor of Philosophy: Computer Science, Queen Mary University of London (2023) Dr. Reed's research explores the entangled relationships between humans, bodies, instruments, and technology in music interaction, with particular focus on vocal electromyography (VoxEMG) and the vocalist-voice relationship. Her work incorporates feminist and post-human theories to examine sociopolitical contexts within arts technology, aiming to design for creativity while acknowledging individual, messy bodies in artistic practice. She has developed an open-source platform for vocal electromyography to investigate how biosignal feedback changes understanding and perception of the body in vocal performance. Her interdisciplinary approach bridges music technology, human-computer interaction, and embodied interaction studies. Analysis of Dr. Reed's recent publications (2023-2025) reveals a strong thematic focus on embodied interaction in music technology, with particular emphasis on vocal performance, biosignal feedback, and the philosophical underpinnings of digital instrument design. Her work consistently integrates theoretical frameworks like Karen Barad's agential realism with practical applications in digital musical instruments. Key trends include the exploration of ambiguity in data representation, the sociocultural dimensions of timbre in instrument design, and the development of novel methodologies for understanding embodied musical experiences through micro-phenomenology and ethnographic approaches. ACM SIGCHI Outstanding Dissertation Award (2024) for her thesis 'Imagining & Sensing: Understanding and Extending the Vocalist-Voice Relationship Through Biosignal Feedback' Best Newcomer Award at Loughborough University London's Community Awards Celebration (2024) Dr. Reed actively contributes to the academic community through conference organization and leadership roles. She serves as Member-at-Large on the NIME Board, previously chaired papers for NIME 2024, and co-organized the IBM SkillsBuild Sprint at Loughborough London. She has also chaired sessions at the ACM TEI Conference and co-chaired the Student Design Competition. Her collaborative work spans multiple institutions and includes significant contributions to interdisciplinary projects that bridge music, technology, and human experience. She has been instrumental in developing the senSInt research group and the RaveNET wearable network project. Dr. Reed leads the senSInt research group which focuses on sensorimotor interaction in music and performance contexts. The group develops innovative technologies including the VoxEMG platform for vocal electromyography, the Bones anti-corset for vocal performance, and the RaveNET network of wearable biosensing nodes. These projects explore the intersection of biosignals, embodied interaction, and musical expression, creating novel frameworks for understanding how technology mediates human creativity and performance. The group frequently collaborates with musicians, technologists, and theorists to develop and test these systems in real-world performance contexts.
Professor Andrew Kirkman holds the Peyton and Barber Chair of Music at the University of Birmingham's Department of Music. He leads the Centre for Early Music Performance and Research, directing the University Chamber Orchestra and professional ensemble The Binchois Consort. His roles include teaching Renaissance music, 1960s music studies, and supervising PhD topics ranging from post-communist Poland to late medieval music historiography. Research focuses on fifteenth-century sacred music’s cultural context, particularly the Mass Ordinary in late medieval Europe. His 2010 book The Cultural Life of the Early Polyphonic Mass and 2020 monograph on Saint-Omer’s music culture exemplify this. Recent work explores music-alabaster intersections and late-medieval liturgical practices. His recordings with The Binchois Consort earned Gramophone awards, including the 2017 'Early Music Recording of the Year.' Notable performances include Music for the Hundred Years' War (2017) and collaborations with pianist Clipper Erickson. Awards reflect both scholarly and performative excellence. Advising emphasizes late medieval/renaissance music, while grants supported research on Saint-Omer’s musical legacy. He co-founded The Binchois Consort in 1995, producing Hyperion recordings that revive rarely performed repertoires. His work bridges performance, scholarship, and interdisciplinary cultural studies.
Simon Dixon is a Professor of Computer Science and Director of the UKRI Centre for Doctoral Training in Artificial Intelligence and Music (AIM CDT) at Queen Mary University of London. He also serves as Deputy Director of the Centre for Digital Music (C4DM). His work focuses on music informatics, AI, and computational musicology, with emphasis on music signal analysis, performance modeling, and MIR applications. He leads projects funded by UKRI, Innovate UK, and industry partners like Yamaha and Spotify. Dixon has supervised over 20 PhD students and contributed to major initiatives like the Jazz Digital Archives Project and the Dig that Lick study on jazz melodic patterns. His research has been recognized with awards including the Peter Claricoats Award and Turing Fellowship. Education: PhD in Computer Science, BSc(Hons) in related field, with music qualifications (AMusA LMusA) Roles: AIM CDT Director, C4DM Deputy Director, EU H2020 MIP-Frontiers PI Research: Music transcription, expressive performance analysis, MIR, and AI applications in music education Key projects include industry collaborations (e.g., Yamaha for jazz piano modeling), semantic audio analysis, and large-scale music corpus studies. His team has pioneered methods in chord detection, source separation, and alignment algorithms, with top rankings in MIREX evaluations. Publications span journals like TISMIR and ICASSP, with a focus on foundational MIR techniques and AI-driven music systems. His work bridges technical innovation with cultural heritage through projects like JazzDAP and the Dig that Lick analysis of jazz solos.
Professor Adam Gorb is a renowned composer and academic, serving as Professor of Composition and former Head of the School of Composition at the Royal Northern College of Music (RNCM) from 2000 to 2023. He holds a PhD in Composition from the University of Birmingham (2013), alongside degrees from Cambridge University (BA 1980) and the Royal Academy of Music (RAM, MMus with Principal’s Prize 1993). His research and creative output focuses on orchestral, operatic, and wind ensemble composition. Notable works include operas Anya 17 (2012) and The Path to Heaven (2018), which explore themes like human trafficking and the Holocaust. His wind ensemble pieces, such as Towards Nirvana and Farewell , have won British Composer Awards and are performed globally. Awards include three British Composer Awards and a House of Commons accolade for Anya 17 . He advises PhD students in composition while maintaining international collaborations, including recent projects in Romania, Australia, and the USA. His music is frequently recorded and performed worldwide, with CDs such as 24 Preludes (2022) and Dancing in the Ghetto (2016) showcasing his diverse output. Teaching roles include undergraduate and postgraduate composition at the RNCM, alongside guest lectures at institutions globally. His current projects include commissions for the Royal Academy of Music and interdisciplinary work with Parkinson’s patients.
