R. Anderson Sutton

R. Anderson Sutton is a Professor of Music and head of the Ethnomusicology program at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa (UHM). He holds a BA from Wesleyan University, an MA in Ethnomusicology from UHM, and a PhD in Musicology from the University of Michigan. Previously, he served on the Music faculty at the University of Wisconsin-Madison from 1982-2013, where he directed the Center for Southeast Asian Studies for three terms.

His research focuses on musical traditions of Indonesia (Central/East Java, South Sulawesi) and South Korea, with notable works including Calling Back the Spirit (Oxford, 2002) and Traditions of Gamelan Music in Java (Cambridge, 1991). He expanded his research to South Korea post-2001, co-editing the Perspectives on Korean Music series (2010-2011).

• Advised 20 MA theses and 13 PhD dissertations in Ethnomusicology
• Contributing editor for Asia Pacific Flows book series (UH Press)
• Former First Vice President of the Society for Ethnomusicology
• Board member of the Society for Asian Music

His teaching spans world music surveys, Asian music, musical aesthetics, and audio-visual media. He led Javanese gamelan ensembles and currently oversees UHM performance ensembles. Awards include the 2024 Korean Presidential Award for his scholarly contributions.