Alexander Gagatsis

Alexander Gagatsis is a Lecturer in Jazz Studies at the University of Manchester and Director of Performance, overseeing music performance courses. His research focuses on jazz improvisation, diasporic jazz studies, and music's role in social change. He holds a PhD from the University of Nottingham and advanced degrees from institutions including King's College London and the State University of New York. Gagatsis has led projects funded by the Simon Endowment and National Institute for Health and Care Research, exploring diasporic encounters in jazz and music's impact on dementia care. He has secured prestigious fellowships including the Leverhulme Early Career Fellowship and Berger-Berger-Carter Research Fellowship. His teaching spans jazz historiography, improvisation theory, and Balkan music studies at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels.

Education:

• PhD in Music, University of Nottingham (2018)
• Artist Diploma in Jazz Performance, State University of New York (2012)
• Master of Music, King’s College London (2013)
• Master of Music, Trinity College of Music (2009)

Research Interests: Jazz improvisation cognition, diasporic jazz formations, music and psychology, cultural geography of jazz, and community music initiatives. Current projects include investigating improvisation's societal impact and music-based dementia care programs.

Grants & Awards:

• National Institute for Health and Care Research (2022–2024)
• Simon Endowment Collaborative Research (2021–2023)
• British Academy/Leverhulme Grant (2019)

Collaborations: Works with Manchester Camerata, Salford Institute for Dementia, and the Martin Harris Centre. Supervises an ESRC-funded PhD on dementia studies through participatory music research.