Matthew Riley

Matthew Riley is Professor of Music at the University of Birmingham. He holds a BA in Mathematics from the University of Oxford (St Catherine's College) and a PhD in Music from Royal Holloway, University of London. His work focuses on analysis and interpretation of Western art music from the Classical to early 20th-century eras, with special interest in British composers like Edward Elgar and cultural nationalism in music. He chairs the Editorial Board of *Music Analysis* and teaches undergraduate and postgraduate courses on music analysis, compositional history, and nationalism in music.

Research highlights include *The Viennese Minor-Key Symphony in the Age of Haydn and Mozart* (2014), awarded the Emerson Prize, and *Nation and Classical Music: From Handel to Copland* (2016), co-authored with Anthony D. Smith. His current monograph *English Diatonic Music 1887–1955* explores British compositional traditions through schemata analysis. He supervises PhD projects on figures like Tchaikovsky, Tippett, and Elgar, reflecting his expertise in both historical and analytical approaches.

• Education:
  • LRSM Piano Performance (1995)
  • BA Mathematics, St Catherine's College, Oxford (1996)
  • MMus Royal Holloway, University of London (1997)
  • PhD Royal Holloway, University of London (2000)
• Awards: Emerson Prize (2014), translated works in Spanish (e.g., *Nacionalismo y música clásica*).

Teaching includes modules on Classical period history, Romantic piano music, and nationalism in music. He pioneered the MA Music program at Birmingham and contributes to postgraduate research supervision. His work bridges musicological rigor with historical context, emphasizing compositional techniques and cultural narratives.