Leila Zammar is a Professor at Loyola University Chicago, with a PhD earned at the University of Warwick under supervisors David Lines and Margaret Shewring. Her academic journey began with researching set design and staging techniques for early operas, particularly focusing on the Barberini family’s patronage. Research spans scenography, Renaissance and Baroque theater, political iconography, and women’s contributions to the arts Key publications analyze Barberini’s theatrical propaganda, Bernini’s scenographic inventions, and urban toponymy of female artists Her work integrates archival research to reconstruct staging techniques from 1628–1656 in Rome, while also exploring intersections between music, literature, and cultural identity through studies of women musicians in Cagliari’s urban nomenclature.
Robin Humphreys is a Professor at the Royal Northern College of Music and a senior music coach within the School of Vocal Studies and Opera . He holds a BMus Hons from the University of Birmingham and a prestigious Diploma in Professional Performance (PPRNCM) from the Royal Northern College of Music. Education : BMus Hons, University of Birmingham Diploma in Professional Performance, Royal Northern College of Music Humphreys has had a 40-year career as an accompanist and répétiteur, praised as "world-class" by Louise Flind for "Opera Today". His work spans classical and operatic repertoire, with notable collaborations including the Manchester Camerata , Feelgood Theatre Productions , and Clonter Opera Theatre in Cheshire. As a vocal coach, he specializes in 1-1 coaching , excerpt preparation , and operatic repertoire performance. He served as chief répétiteur for most college opera productions from the late 1990s until 2013 and toured globally with Opera & Concert Productions (Worldwide) Ltd from 1990–2000. His affiliations include the British & International Federation of Festivals , where he was a member for 35 years, and the RNCM , where he studied piano accompaniment under David Lloyd.
Professor Julian Philips is Head of Composition at the Guildhall School of Music & Drama, where he also holds a Professorship (conferred 2014). A Welsh-born composer with degrees from Emmanuel College, Cambridge (FGS, DPhil, MA Cantab), he specializes in operatic, choral, and vocal works. His compositions blend literary sources with innovative musical structures, particularly in settings of Emily Dickinson, Dylan Thomas, and John Clare. Notable roles include Glyndebourne Opera's first Composer-in-Residence (2006-2009) and creator of the Guildhall School's Opera-Making & Writing MA program. Education: FGS, DPhil, MA (Cantab) from Emmanuel College, Cambridge Research focuses on text-music relationships , with acclaimed works like Turning Fifty (2019), How the Whale Became (2013), and the Middle English opera The Tale of Januarie (2017). His ballets ( Les Liaisons Dangereuses , The Snow Queen ) and symphonic works ( Ballades Concertantes ) further showcase his versatility. Recent projects include Henny Penny (2021 children's opera) and Ted Hughes settings for the Little Missenden Festival. Awards: Honorary Fellow (Guildhall, 2007), British Composer Award nomination (2009). Advising & Grants: Established the Royal Opera House Doctoral Composer-in-Residence scheme. Current projects include Vaughan Williams anniversary work Looking West (2022) and a horn/tenor/piano piece for Oxford Lieder Festival.
Dr. Sarah Whitfield is a Doctoral Supervisor and Reader in Musical Theatre at the Royal College of Music , currently serving as Head of Doctoral Programmes. Previously a Reader in Musical Theatre at the University of Wolverhampton, she combines digital humanities and traditional archival research to recover under-represented narratives in musical theatre history. Editor of Reframing the Musical: Race, Culture and Identity (2019) Co-author of An Inconvenient Black History of British Musical Theatre 1900-1950 (2021) Keynote speaker at institutions like BBC Radio 3, New York Public Library, and British Library Her research focuses on Queer theatre , women's stories , and collaborative practice in music history . She has supervised doctoral research on topics ranging from interwar women composers to 21st-century operatic voice studies, while also consulting for organizations like ABRSM and the Frank Bridge Trust.
Christian Günther is a Lecturer in Ensemble Leadership at the Hochschule für Künste Bremen. He conducts the Ensemble 'piano possibile' and leads courses such as Ensembleleitung für Kompositionsstudierende and Ensemble-/Chorleitung (KPA). Since 2008, he has served as Deputy Chorus Director at the Hamburg State Opera and assisted at Bayreuther Festspielen (2017) and Opernhaus Zürich (2018). His expertise spans contemporary music, opera direction, and ensemble training. Education: Studied orchestral conducting at the Munich University of Music and Performing Arts (1994–2000) Research & Roles: Specializes in new music performance, having premiered student operas like 'Unterwegs' (2002–2007). Maintains active roles with the NDR-Chor and Atelier Neue Musik ensemble. His work bridges classical training with contemporary artistic innovation. Grants & Collaborations: Regular guest conductor engagements and festival participations highlight his industry connections. Current teaching focuses on practical ensemble leadership for composition students.
Prof. Thomas Seedorf is a Professor of Musicology at the Karlsruhe University of Music since 2006. He holds a Ph.D. from the Hanover University of Music, Drama and Media (1988), where he researched Mozart's reception in the early 20th century. His academic roles include co-editor of the Max Reger Hybrid Edition, chair of the International Schubert Society, and artistic director of the International Handel Academy Karlsruhe. He leads the Sound - Word - Event publication series with Matthias Wiegandt. His research focuses on 17th-20th century music, vocal artistry, performance practice, and operatic history. Notable projects include the New Schubert Edition and leadership of the Heroic Sopranos subproject in the Collaborative Research Center 948. Recent publications (2015–2017) explore heroic vocal roles, vocal categorization, and tenor mythology. Prof. Seedorf has held editorial roles for the Encyclopaedia of Music in History and chaired the performance practice research group for the Society for Music Research (2010–2017). His academic contributions span editorial work, symposia organization, and collaborative research initiatives.
Catherine McDaniel, DMA, is an Associate Professor of Voice at the Bass School of Music, Oklahoma City University. She specializes in operatic performance and vocal pedagogy, with a focus on classical voice, oratorio, and new vocal works. Her teaching includes studio voice and lyric diction. Education: B.M. and M.M. in Voice from Stephen F. Austin State University; D.M.A. in Vocal Performance from the University of Oklahoma, with a dissertation analyzing Edward Knight's Tales Not Told . Professional affiliations include Pi Kappa Lambda, Mu Phi Epsilon, Phi Kappa Phi, and the National Association of Teachers of Singing. Research interests emphasize performance of major operatic roles, oratorio works (e.g., Verdi’s Requiem , Handel’s Messiah ), and championing new vocal compositions. She has performed with organizations such as the Oklahoma City Philharmonic, Fort Smith Symphony Orchestra, and Painted Sky Opera. Awards highlight her competitive success in Metropolitan Opera Auditions and NATA competitions. Students have pursued careers in national tours, major opera companies, and advanced degrees at institutions like New England Conservatory and the University of Missouri-Kansas City.
Lya Meister is a Research Fellow at Tallinn University of Technology's School of Information Technologies, Department of Software Science. She has held this position since 2017, continuing her career from the Institute of Cybernetics at TUT where she served as a Research Fellow (2009–2016) and Extraordinary Research Fellow (2005–2008). Her academic background includes a Doctor's Degree in 2011 (University of Tartu) and a Research Master's Degree in 2005 (Tallinn University). Education: PhD: University of Tartu, 2005–2011 Master's: Tallinn Pedagogical University, Estonian Philology, 2002–2005 Bachelor's: Tallinn Pedagogical University, Russian Philology, 1975–1979 Her research focuses on experimental phonetics, speech corpora analysis, and the acoustic characteristics of speech production. Notable projects include the Improving the intelligibility of sung text (2022–2026) and contributions to the Estonian Elderly Speech Corpus. She has organized major conferences like the Phonetics Symposium 2024 and served on international committees for speech technology initiatives. Her awards include the 2023 School of Information Technologies Paper of the Year and the 2012 Best Paper Award from the Institute of Cybernetics. Her work spans over 68 publications, with recent emphasis on plosive closure duration in singing, vowel-consonant intensity ratios, and developmental phonetic changes in adolescents.
Professor Brian Ferneyhough is a Visiting Professorial Fellow at the Department of Music, Stanford University. His work focuses on contemporary music composition and theory, characterized by intricate notational practices and avant-garde aesthetics. He has been affiliated with major institutions, including the Institute of Musical Research in London, where he held the ST Lee Visiting Professorial Fellowship (2013-14). Education: ABSM degree, Birmingham School of Music Royal Academy of Music, London Research: Ferneyhough’s compositions, such as Shadowtime (opera) and string quartets, are performed globally. His work explores fragmented musical structures, dislocated events, and layered textures. He has received the Ernst von Siemens Musikpreis and an honorary doctorate from the University of London (2012). Grants & Fellowships: His 2013-14 fellowship at the Institute of Musical Research marked a pivotal period in his career, reflecting his influence in defining contemporary musical aesthetics.
Dr. Jacob-Ivan Eidt is an Associate Professor of German and Director of the German Program at the University of Dallas. He also directs the Comparative Literary Traditions major and served as Department Chair of Modern Languages from 2009-2021. His research focuses on German literature of the long 19th century, Austro-German music traditions, German film, and Germanic mythology, with particular emphasis on Goethe, Rilke, and Wagner. He earned his PhD in Germanic Studies from the University of Texas at Austin and has held roles including Chair of the Faculty Senate (2024–2025). Dr. Eidt’s scholarly work bridges music and literature, including studies on Beethoven, Nietzsche, and film adaptations of literary works. He has published extensively on these topics and lectures frequently with institutions like the Dallas Symphony Orchestra. His courses emphasize intensive language learning and cultural immersion, notably co-designing a German intensive program with his wife. He serves as President of the Dallas Goethe Center, promoting German culture in North Texas. His awards include the Thyssen Stiftung travel grant and recognition for his educational contributions. His recent projects include editing volumes on Goethe’s Bildung and presenting at international conferences on topics ranging from Wagner’s influence to the intersections of music and literature.
Tamara Stanic is an Assistant Professor at the Faculty of Philosophy , University of Novi Sad, specializing in Romance Studies with a focus on Italian language and literature. She holds a Diploma in Italian Language and Literature from the University of Belgrade and a Master's degree with a thesis on "The Operatic Fate of Cavalleria Rusticana." Education : 1995-2000: University of Belgrade, Faculty of Philology - Diploma in Italian Language and Literature 2009-2010: University of Belgrade, Faculty of Philology - Master in Italian Language and Literature Her research centers on Italian language teaching methodology, cultural elements in language education, and the historical and civilizational aspects of Italian studies. She has contributed to academic discussions on textbook design and intercultural communication. Recent publications highlight her expertise in cultural studies (e.g., "Sociocultural view of coffee in Italian and Serbian everyday life") and pedagogical frameworks (e.g., "Features of a good textbook in Italian language teaching"). Her work also explores the intersection of literary traditions between Italy and the Balkans. Academic Service : Teaching Italian language courses (A2.1 to B1.1 levels) at the Faculty of Philosophy, University of Novi Sad Participation in international conferences like CICCRE Comunicazione e cultura nella Romania europea and Languages and Cultures in Time and Space
Dr. Mark Marrington is an Associate Professor in Music Production at York St John University, Faculty of Arts. He is a composer, guitarist, and scholar with expertise in musicology of record production, music technology, and 20th-century British art music. His research explores classical guitar recording practices, digital audio workstations (DAW), and heavy metal music aesthetics. He previously taught at Leeds College of Music and the University of Leeds, and has contributed to academic publications on topics ranging from Denis ApIvor's compositional techniques to the role of technology in music production. Research interests include the evolution of classical guitar recording from the early 20th century to today, the impact of DAWs on creativity, and the intersection of technology and heavy metal music. His book *Recording the Classical Guitar* (2021) was a finalist for the ARSC Award. He also serves as a series editor for academic books on music production, including *Gender in Music Production*. Professional activities include roles as an external examiner for several UK universities and contributions to pedagogical guitar publications like *Guitar from Scratch*. His artistic output includes compositions such as *Cars* (2012, created from car sounds) and the *MadeinMIDI* project. He has curated archival materials for Denis ApIvor’s works and lectures widely on topics like metal music production and classical guitar history. Awards: Finalist in 2022 ARSC Award for *Recording the Classical Guitar*. Grants/Projects: Curated the Denis ApIvor archive at University of Leeds, contributed to multiple music technology research initiatives. Labs/Teams: Involved in music production and technology research groups at York St John and collaborating institutions.
Pierre Longuenesse is a Lecturer in Performing Arts at Paris III Sorbonne Nouvelle University, affiliated with the Texts and Cultures Research Center (EA4028). His work bridges theatre studies, music, and interdisciplinary performance practices. Université d’Artois: Teaching (Licence/Master) and HDR accreditation (2017) Université Paris III: Accreditation to Supervise Research (2017) Research Themes focus on: W.B. Yeats’s theatrical innovations (speech-voice-image dynamics) Mutations of 20th-century European drama Theatre-music-dance interrelationships Transdisciplinary stage practices Medieval revival in modern theatre Recent Publications explore musical dramaturgy, spectral voices, and text-stage transformations. He co-edits the "Corps et voix" series at Artois Presses Université. Academic Service includes: Directing over 20 Master’s theses since 2010 Editorial roles in conference proceedings Peer-review expertise for journals Theatrical Practice : Artistic director of Compagnie du Samovar and Festival des Arts du Pont d’Oye , with stagings in France, Belgium, and India. His creative adaptations span Diderot, Yeats, and Villon.
Kaori Sato is an Assistant Professor of Music in the Voice and Opera Studies program at the Conservatory of Music, Purchase College, where she has been a faculty member since 1998. As a distinguished soprano, she has performed internationally in major concert halls and opera houses across the United States, Japan, Italy, Malta, and the Philippines. Education: BM, Miyagi-Gakuin Women’s University, Japan MM, Mannes College of Music Kaori Sato is deeply engaged in vocal performance and music education. Her expertise lies in operatic and concert repertoire, with a focus on Italian and German works by composers such as Puccini, Verdi, Mozart, and Mahler. She has developed a unique series of 'lecture concerts' in Japan titled 'Song and Talk,' blending performance with personal insights from her career as a performer and educator in New York. Her performances include leading roles such as Cio-Cio San in Madama Butterfly , Liu in Turandot , Mimi in La Bohème , and Gilda in Rigoletto , with orchestras and opera companies including the Harrisburg Symphony, Dallas Opera, Opera Memphis, and Ensemble Intakt in Japan. She has performed at Carnegie Hall and Lincoln Center, showcasing works by Rutter, Fauré, Brahms, Verdi, and Beethoven. Scientific and Artistic Awards: First Prize, Liederkranz Foundation Annual Scholarship Award Competition (1993) First Prize, Queens Opera Competition Winner, Licia-Albanese Puccini Foundation Competition Winner, Japan International Voice Competition Kaori Sato has been a guest speaker at the Eastman School of Music and has conducted masterclasses in the U.S. and Japan. She was also on the roster of the Metropolitan Opera as a cover artist for the role of Gilda in Rigoletto during her graduate studies. While no formal research grants or students are listed, her contributions to performance and pedagogy are significant and ongoing. She continues to bridge performance and education through her faculty role and international engagements, maintaining an active presence in the global vocal arts community.
Sophia Terazawa is a Visiting Assistant Professor at Virginia Tech's Department of English. A Vietnamese-Japanese poet and performer, she has authored the novel Tetra Nova (2025) and poetry collections Winter Phoenix (2021), Anon (2023), with Oracular Maladies forthcoming (2026). Her work explores ghosts, cultural hybridity, and linguistic experimentation. MFA, University of Arizona BA, Ithaca College Her research focuses on multilingual poetry , hybrid forms , and performance art , blending Vietnamese-Japanese heritage with contemporary poetics. Creative works include cross-disciplinary collaborations like the poetry-ballet crossover Deixis (2025) and editorship of the Wilding Our Damage project. Recent publications span poetry journals ( Mantis , DREGINALD ), critical essays on mistranslation, and her novel Tetra Nova which interrogates border ethics through operatic structure. Themes of trauma, identity, and cultural synthesis recur across her work. Eric Hoffer Book Award Finalist (2024) Sturm Award for Creative Arts (2023) Tomaž Šalamun Prize (2018) She teaches courses in poetry , hybrid forms , and creative writing , and has led community workshops on tarot-poetry and Halloween-themed writing. Professional activities include co-organizing the Mahmoud Darwish marathon reading and judging the MAYDAY Micro-Chapbook Prize.
