Anna Yu Wang is an Assistant Professor of Music at Princeton University, specializing in global music theory and ethnography. Her work interrogates listening across cultural and ideological divides, integrating music analysis, fieldwork, and archival research to challenge Anglo-American theoretical paradigms. Focuses on Sinitic opera traditions like Huangmei opera and Taiwanese opera Proposes methodologies that embrace creative tensions in global music studies Co-creator of 'Music Theory in the Plural', an open-source platform for underrepresented music theoretical traditions She has held leadership roles such as co-chair of the SMT Analysis of World Musics Interest Group (2017-2023) and serves as Associate Editor for the pedagogy journal Engaging Students . Prior to Princeton, she developed a cross-cultural music theory curriculum at Longy School of Music of Bard College. Ph.D. in Music Theory, Harvard University B.Mus in Piano Performance and Music Theory and Analysis, McGill University Her accolades include the Society for Music Theory’s Outstanding Multi-Author Publication Award for collaborative work on inclusive pedagogy.
Aaron Godwin (He/They) is an Assistant Professor of Instruction & Academic Advisor at the School of Communication , Northwestern University, specializing in Musical Theater, Opera, Queer theory, and Voice. Their interdisciplinary approach bridges performance studies with academic advising. PhD in Sociology, New York University Doctor of Musical Arts (DMA), 2020, Voice Performance & Literature, University of Illinois Urbana Champaign Master of Social Work (MSW), 2024, Advanced Clinical Practice, University of Illinois Urbana Champaign Master of Music (MM), 2016, Voice Performance & Literature, University of Illinois Urbana Champaign Bachelor of Music (BM), 2013, Voice Performance & Literature, University of Central Florida Bachelor of Arts (BA), 2010, Interdisciplinary Studies, University of Central Florida Aaron’s research focuses on musical theatre performance and pedagogy , with a doctoral dissertation analyzing A Chorus Line through queer critical theory to inform 21st-century practices. Additional interests include musical theatre history, disability representation, trauma-informed teaching, and neurodivergent-affirming methodologies. As an educator, Aaron has taught public speaking at the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences, developed courses for non-music majors on musical theatre singing, and advised pre-health students at the School of Molecular & Cellular Biology. Former students are pursuing careers in performing arts or attending prestigious medical/dental/pharmacy schools. A licensed social worker , Aaron integrates neurodivergent-affirming care into private therapy practice while maintaining a vibrant performance career, having worked with institutions like the Florida Opera Theater and Walt Disney World Resort.
Ana Kuzmanić is a Professor of Theatre at Northwestern University's School of Communication, specializing in costume design for theatre and opera. Born in Yugoslavia, she has established an international career with design work seen across the United States, Europe, Asia, and the Americas. Her Broadway debut came with the Pulitzer and Tony award-winning play August: Osage County , and she has since designed for numerous Broadway, Off-Broadway, and international productions. Professor Kuzmanić's research and practice focus on theatrical figuration, analogue/digital drawing techniques, costume design for performance, and creative process development. Her work bridges traditional costume design methodologies with contemporary technological approaches, exploring the intersection of historical costuming practices and modern theatrical expression. She has collaborated extensively with renowned directors including Mary Zimmerman, Robert Falls, and Anna D. Shapiro on world-premiere productions and classic adaptations. Her recent work demonstrates a continued evolution in theatrical costume design, with notable productions including Matchbox Magic Flute (2024), Florencia en el Amazonas (2023) at the Metropolitan Opera, and The Cherry Orchard (2022). Kuzmanić's designs consistently receive critical acclaim for their rich textures, historical accuracy, and innovative approaches to character embodiment through costume. Joseph Jefferson Award for Costume Design for Comedy of Errors (2008) and Matchbox Magic Flute (2024) Helen Hayes Nomination for Outstanding Costume Design for Camelot, Washington, DC (2018) San Francisco Bay Area Theatre Critics Circle Award nomination for Best Costume Design for Treasure Island (2017) Joseph Jefferson Award nomination for Costume Design for Treasure Island (2016), Steadfast Tin Soldier (2019), The Cherry Orchard (2023) American Theatre Wing Henry Hewes Design Award nomination for Best Costume Design for The Jacksonian (2014) Drama Desk nomination for Outstanding Costume Design for August Osage County (2008) Michael Maggio Emerging Designer Award (2007) Professor Kuzmanić has mentored numerous emerging designers through her teaching at Northwestern University, where she guides students through the complexities of theatrical costume design. Her professional network includes collaborations with major institutions such as the Metropolitan Opera, Goodman Theatre, Steppenwolf Theatre, and Lookingglass Theatre. While specific grant information isn't detailed in the provided materials, her extensive production portfolio indicates successful securing of design commissions across major American theatre and opera institutions. Through her work at Northwestern University and with professional theatre companies, Kuzmanić contributes to a vibrant design community that bridges academic training with professional practice. Her studio approach emphasizes both traditional craftsmanship and contemporary design technologies, creating a comprehensive educational environment for future costume designers.
Professor Richard Chew is Director of the Arts Academy at Federation University Australia's Camp Street Campus. A composer, pianist, and baritone, he has held academic roles at University of South Australia, Elder Conservatorium of Music, and Federation University Australia since 2018. His work spans orchestral, operatic, and interdisciplinary music-theatre forms, with commissions from English National Opera, Welsh National Opera, and international festivals. PhD in Communication Studies (UniSA, 2014) Master of Music Performance Studies (Royal College of Music London, 1991) Associate Researcher at Lythrum Press and Australian Music Centre Chew's research focuses on contemporary composition practices, blending opera, music theatre, and devised performance. His work integrates visual arts (e.g., Ford Madox Brown's painting), literature (Gerard Manley Hopkins, Michael Ende), and social justice themes. Notable projects include the oratorio Stari Most (commissioned for Salisbury Cathedral's 750th Anniversary) and founding the vocal ensemble The Shout, described by The Times as a blueprint for 21st-century choral singing. Recent publications include chamber works for Inscape Piano Trio and adaptations like Momo (2022). His music is characterized by transparent melodic lines, jazz-inflected harmonies, and collaborations with institutions such as the Art Gallery of Ballarat, Creative Victoria, and the National Theatre (London). Awards include the Royal College of Music's President's Rose Bowl and multiple international performances at venues including Southbank Centre and Her Majesty’s Theatre.
Susie Mészáros is a Professor of Viola at the Royal Northern College of Music (RNCM) and the Royal College of Music (RCM), specializing in viola, violin, and chamber music instruction. She is a member of the internationally renowned Chilingirian String Quartet and has performed as a soloist with artists like Yehudi Menuhin, Vladimir Spivakov, and Arthur Grumiaux. Education: Yehudi Menuhin School Her career spans decades of performance in leading chamber ensembles, including the Nash Ensemble, Fitzwilliam Quartet, and Prometheus Ensemble, alongside roles as concertmaster of Kent Opera. She has served as a juror for the Bordeaux International Quartet competition and the Royal Over-Seas League. Recent activities highlight her expertise in string performance and chamber music collaboration, reflecting her deep engagement with classical repertoire. Notable accolades include the Royal Over-Seas League Gold Medal and BBC Young Musician of the Year finalist recognition. Awards: Gold Medal (Royal Over-Seas League), BBC Young Musician of the Year Finalist Mészáros currently performs with the Chilingirian String Quartet and her new ensemble 'Dragonfly' alongside Marcia Crayford and Moray Welsh, maintaining active ties with major orchestras like the Philharmonia and Chamber Orchestra of Europe.
Lauri Kilpiö is a composer and lecturer at the Sibelius Academy, known for his diverse compositional output ranging from solo pieces to orchestral compositions, chamber operas, and pedagogical works. His stylistic expertise spans melodic-harmonic atonal music, textural music, concrete instrumental music, and tonal contemporary music. As a doctoral student in composition at the Sibelius Academy, Kilpiö focuses on motivicity in contemporary music environments, comparing his own compositions with works by Helmut Lachenmann and Kazimierz Serocki. His teaching fields include composition, szatsi theory, and contemporary music analysis.
William Robin is an Associate Professor of Musicology at the School of Music, University of Maryland , appointed in Fall 2016. His research focuses on institutional structures shaping contemporary classical music in the United States, with additional interests in early American hymnody, Stravinsky, and postwar European avant-garde. Education : PhD in Musicology (University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 2016) Doctoral dissertation: Analysis of American new music through "indie classical" lens Bachelor’s in Saxophone Performance & Musicology (Northwestern University’s Bienen School of Music) Research Expertise : Contemporary classical music institutional frameworks "Indie Classical" terminology analysis Bang on a Can collective’s market participation Transatlantic 19th century sacred music reform Stravinsky’s musical objectivity rhetoric Neoliberalism’s impact on music ensembles Scientific Contributions : Author of Industry: Bang on a Can and New Music in the Marketplace (Oxford University Press, 2021) Co-editor of On Minimalism: Documenting a Musical Movement (UC Press, 2023) Peer-reviewed publications in Musical Quarterly , Journal of the American Musicological Society , and Journal of the Society for American Music Awards & Recognition : ASCAP Deems Taylor/Virgil Thomson Award (2014) for NewMusicBox article University of Maryland Research Communicator Impact Award DAAD Study Scholarship recipient (Berlin, unfinished opera projects of Bernd Alois Zimmermann)
Claire Chase serves as Professor of the Practice in the Music Department at Harvard University's Faculty of Arts and Sciences, where she joined the faculty in 2017. Currently on leave for the 2022-23 academic year, she maintains her affiliation with Harvard while continuing her groundbreaking work in new music. Chase is a soloist, collaborative artist, educator, curator and advocate for new and experimental music. Her research interests span contemporary flute performance, interdisciplinary arts, community engagement through music, and the expansion of flute repertoire. She has championed new music internationally by forming organizations, cultivating intersectional alliances, founding commissioning initiatives, and supporting community and education programs that reach new audiences. Her work bridges the gap between traditional classical music and experimental performance practices. Her most significant scholarly contribution is Density 2036, a 24-year commissioning project to create an entirely new body of repertory for flute between 2013 and 2036. This ambitious initiative has resulted in numerous recordings and performances that represent the cutting edge of contemporary flute music. The project demonstrates her commitment to expanding the boundaries of musical expression and instrument technique. MacArthur Fellowship (2012) - First flutist ever to receive this honor Avery Fisher Prize (2017) - First flutist to receive this prestigious award Honorary Doctorates from The Curtis Institute of Music and The Cleveland Institute of Music Chase co-founded the International Contemporary Ensemble (ICE) in 2001, described as the United States' 'foremost new-music ensemble,' and served as its artistic director until 2017. She has collaborated with numerous composers to premiere hundreds of new works, significantly expanding the contemporary flute repertoire. Her work often intersects with social justice initiatives, as seen in her fellowship with Project& and collaborations on community-based performances like Pan. Her leadership extends to educational programming, having served as co-artistic director of Ensemble Evolution at Banff Centre for Arts & Creativity (2016-2019), and her Density 2036 project serves as both artistic output and educational resource for future generations of musicians.
Torunn Helene Robstad is an Associate Professor and Programme Coordinator for the Master's Programme in Dance at the Academy of Dance, Oslo National Academy of the Arts. Educated at the Norwegian National Opera Ballet School and Alvin Ailey American Dance Center, she specializes in communication/interpretation and production/performance work. Teaches in the Master's Programme in Dance Associated with Carte Blanche Dance Company and Cullberg Ballet Worked with international choreographers and institutional theatres in Oslo Rehearsal director at the Norwegian Opera and Ballet Research Interests focus on dance improvisation, artistic practice, and performance dynamics. Her work explores embodied cognition, choreographic innovation, and interdisciplinary approaches to movement and interpretation. Recent publications address improvisation, gesture documentation, and aesthetic experimentation. Scientific Contributions include collaborations in artistic research, with notable 2025 lecture on dance improvisation and 2024 works examining gestural frameworks and experimental performance. Earlier projects (2016-2019) investigated movement analysis, choreographic expression, and theatrical experimentation.
Maria Laura Frigotto is a Professor at the University of Trento, Italy, where she works in the Department of Economics and Management. Her academic career focuses on organizational studies with particular emphasis on novelty, innovation, creativity, resilience, and organizational mindfulness. She has established herself as a leading scholar in the field of organizational resilience, especially as it applies to cultural institutions like opera houses. Her research spans multiple domains within organizational theory, with significant contributions to understanding how organizations respond to novelty and unexpected challenges. She has developed theoretical frameworks for understanding organizational resilience, particularly in contexts where traditional approaches may fail, such as emergency situations and cultural institutions facing modernization pressures. Professor Frigotto's work on white novelties and black novelties represents a significant theoretical contribution to the field. Organizational Resilience : Capabilities for responding to unexpected challenges and novel adversities Novelty Studies : Understanding emergence of novelty in organizational contexts Arts Management : Specialized research on opera house management and cultural institutions Organizational Mindfulness : Attention processes in high-reliability organizations Innovation Management : Processes for generating and implementing novel ideas Emergency Management : Organizational responses to crises and unexpected events Her recent publications reveal a growing interest in the intersection of public policy, hybrid governance, and organizational resilience, particularly in the context of public cultural institutions. Professor Frigotto has been actively contributing to academic discourse through conference participation and collaborative research projects across European institutions, with significant publications extending through 2025. Scientific Recognition With 55 publications and over 379 citations, Professor Frigotto has established a significant scholarly presence in organizational studies. Her work has been featured in numerous academic journals and books, with particular recognition for her contributions to understanding resilience in cultural institutions. She maintains an active scholarly network with frequent collaborations across European institutions. Professional Engagement Professor Frigotto maintains active engagement with the academic community through ResearchGate and other scholarly networks. She collaborates extensively with researchers across Europe, particularly in the areas of public administration, organizational studies, and cultural management. Her work bridges theoretical insights with practical applications in organizational settings, with particular relevance to public cultural institutions navigating modernization pressures while preserving cultural heritage.
Scott Terrell is an Associate Professor of Orchestral Studies and holds the Virginia Martin Howard Chair at the Louisiana State University School of Music. He is a renowned conductor with a focus on artistic excellence, new music, and diverse repertoire. His career spans guest conducting with major orchestras like the San Francisco Symphony, teaching at institutions such as the Aspen Music Festival, and leading international collaborations in Bulgaria and Austria. Education: Bachelor's degree from Western Michigan University Master's in Orchestral Conducting from the University of Minnesota Fellowship conductor at the American Academy of Conducting at Aspen Terrell's research interests include vocal/operatic repertoire (e.g., collaborations with Kentucky Opera and Arizona Opera), educational outreach through honor orchestra events across multiple U.S. states, and international conducting masterclasses. His work emphasizes community engagement and innovative programming, demonstrated during his transformative decade as Music Director of the Lexington Philharmonic (2009-2019). Scientific Awards: Conducting Prize from David Zinman at Aspen Music Festival As an educator, Terrell mentors conducting students at Aspen, adjudicates competitions, and serves as a guest clinician. He previously held roles as Resident Conductor at Charleston Symphony Orchestra and Assistant Conductor of Minnesota Orchestra, while studying under Leonard Slatkin, Robert Spano, Jorma Panula, and David Robertson.
Andrew Davies is a Professor of Public Religion at the Department of Theology and Religion, University of Birmingham , and Director of the Edward Cadbury Centre for the Public Understanding of Religion. He also serves as Head of Education for the School of Philosophy, Theology & Religion and leads the Master of Public Administration in Faith-Based Leadership and MA in Religion, Politics and Society programs. BD(Hons) in Divinity, University of London (1992) MA in Biblical Studies, University of Sheffield (1994) PhD in Biblical Studies, University of Sheffield (1998) His research focuses on cultural-critical approaches to biblical interpretation, Pentecostal/evangelical hermeneutics, and religion's role in public policy. He explores the Bible's societal impact, faith-based leadership, and global freedom of religion. His work bridges biblical ethics with contemporary social engagement, particularly through megachurch studies and faith communities' civic roles. Key article themes include biblical reception history, digital religion, pandemic responses, and theological approaches to social justice. Awards include a University Teaching Fellowship (2014) and Principal Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (2018). He has managed £2.5m+ in funded projects, including the AHRC-supported 'Megachurches and Social Engagement in London' (2013-16) and the interdisciplinary 'Birmingham Project' with IBM, Jaguar LandRover, PwC, and KPMG. He collaborates with UK government departments on faith-related policy and advises international faith communities.
Dr. Markian Prokopovych is a Researcher in the Department of History at Durham University and a member of the Centre for Ukraine Studies. He specializes in Modern European History, Cultural and Urban History, East-Central Europe, the Habsburg Empire and its successor states, Ukraine, Museums and Visual Culture, and Migration. Research Interests: Modern European History, Cultural and Urban History, East-Central Europe, Habsburg Empire, Ukraine, Museums and Visual Culture, Migration. His scholarly work focuses on the interplay between urban development, cultural institutions, and imperial dynamics in the Habsburg Empire and successor states. He has published extensively on topics such as the role of art museums in shaping urban elites, the architectural evolution of design museums, and the impact of migration on 19th-century European cities. Prokopovych has contributed to edited volumes and journals like Austrian History Yearbook and Austrian Studies , addressing themes such as language diversity, opera networks, and the materiality of identification in urban contexts. His co-edited works include The Museum Age in Austria-Hungary and Liberalism, Nationalism and Design Reform in the Habsburg Empire .
Professor Johannes Brachtendorf is a faculty member at the University of Tübingen , holding the Chair of Fundamental Philosophical Questions of Theology within the Faculty of Catholic Theology . Additionally, he is an associated member of the Philosophical Seminar at the University of Tübingen. His office is located at 12 Liebermeisterstraße, Tübingen , and he can be reached at +49 (0)7071 29 72670 or via email at johannes.bringendorf@uni-tuebingen.de . Academic Focus: His research spans Metaphysics , Philosophy of Mind , and Philosophy of Religion , with a particular emphasis on the works of Augustine , Fichte , and Kant . He explores intersections between Classical Chinese Philosophy and Augustinian Theology , as well as themes like Infinity , Divine Attributes , and Religious Ethics . Publications and Contributions: He has authored monographs such as Augustins Confessiones and Die Struktur des menschlichen Geistes nach Augustinus , with translations into English and Chinese. He co-edits the Augustinus-Opera-Werke and Augustinus – Werk und Wirkung series, and has contributed to The Oxford Guide to the Historical Reception of Augustine . International Engagements: His visiting professorships include appointments at Villanova University (USA) , Doshisha University (Japan) , and Minzu University (China) . He has presented at conferences globally, including in Chile , Malta , and China .
Michelle Siemens is a dramatic mezzo-soprano and academic professional based in the New York Metro Area. Currently serving as an Adjunct Professor of Voice and Arts Administration at Wagner College, she combines her performance expertise with educational leadership. Her performance career highlights include roles such as Der Komponist in Ariadne auf Naxos , Ines in Il Trovatore , and Daughter of Akhnaten in Akhnaten at Los Angeles Opera. A graduate of the University of Toronto (BMus) and Manhattan School of Music (MMus), she has performed with prestigious companies like Central City Opera, Opera on the Avalon, and Los Angeles Opera. Recognized for her vocal prowess, Ms. Siemens has earned accolades including the Classical Singer Fall Competition's Classical Emerging Professional Category win (2020) and victories in Los Angeles Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions. Performance Specializations : Opera, Classical Voice, Mezzo-Soprano Repertoire Notable Roles : Der Komponist ( Ariadne auf Naxos ), Ines ( Il Trovatore ), Daughter of Akhnaten ( Akhnaten ) Major Collaborations : Matthew Aucoin (Artist-in-Residence, Los Angeles Opera)
