Lily Akerman is a Lecturer in Playwriting at the School of Film and Media Studies, Purchase College. Her career spans playwriting, libretto composition, and international collaboration, with recent work featured at 59E59, Cork Opera House, and the Playing-On-Air Podcast. She holds an M.F.A. in Playwriting from Hunter College and a B.A. from Princeton University. Education: B.A., Princeton University; M.F.A., Hunter College Akerman’s research and creative practice focuses on contemporary drama, socially engaged storytelling, and interdisciplinary approaches to theatre. Her work has been developed with prominent organizations including Clubbed Thumb’s Writer’s Group, the Hearth, the Bechdel Project, and New Theatre in Dublin. Scientific and artistic accolades include the 2018 James Stevenson Prize, Fulbright recognition, and multiple nominations for Best Opera by the Irish Times. Her affiliations highlight cross-border collaborations and mentorship in playwriting.
Professor Christine van Ruymbeke is a leading scholar in Classical Persian studies at the University of Cambridge's Faculty of Asian and Middle Eastern Studies , holding the Ali Reza & Mohamed Soudavar Professorship of Persian Studies . She is also Deputy College Praelector at Darwin College and Trustee/Honorary Secretary of the Ancient India and Iran Trust . Research Focus: Her work centers on medieval Persian literature, particularly Nezami Ganjavi’s Khamsa and Haft Paykar , the Kalila wa Dimna fable tradition, and wine poetry across Islamic literary cultures. She co-edited "Passed around by a Crescent": Wine Poetry in the Literary Traditions of the Islamic World and The Interpretation of Nizami’s Cultural Heritage in the Contemporary Period . Scientific & Institutional Recognition: Fellow of the Royal Asiatic Society of Great Britain and Ireland Secretary of the Societas Iranologica Europaea Member, Iran Heritage Foundation Academic Committee Co-editor of acclaimed volumes on Persian cultural heritage Teaching and Supervision: She teaches undergraduate literary Persian and supervises advanced research. She will be on sabbatical from MT2025 to ET2027, pausing graduate supervision during this period.
Alina Ratkowska is a Professor at the Fryderyk Chopin University of Music in Warsaw, where she leads the Organ and Harpsichord Department and serves on the University Council. She is also the General and Artistic Director of the Wojciech Kilar Polish Philharmonic Sinfonia Baltica in Słupsk since 2022. Education: 1999 - Fryderyk Chopin University of Music, Warsaw; 2002 - Schola Cantorum Basiliensis, Basel; 2020 - Academy of Music in Gdańsk (conducting); 2009 - Gdańsk University of Technology (Public Relations). Her research and performance focus on early music and contemporary harpsichord repertoire , including historical documentation of Gdańsk's musical heritage and the revival of works by Baroque composers like Johann Gottlieb Goldberg and Johann Jeremias du Grain. She has pioneered the expansion of harpsichord use in modern classical compositions . Her recent albums, such as Le Clavecin Moderne and recordings of Goldberg's concertos, highlight her dual expertise in Baroque interpretation and avant-garde experimentation . These works often intersect with interdisciplinary collaborations involving percussion and saxophone. Scientific Awards: Fryderyk Award (2020) Splendor Gedanensis Award (2019, 2020) Sztorm Roku (2009, 2013) Opus Klassik Nominations (2019) Ratkowska has co-founded the Sarton record company, initiated the Goldberg Festival in Gdańsk (2006), and conducted premieres of works by Polish composers like Krzysztof Baculewski and Zygmunt Krauze. Her academic editing includes critical editions of Goldberg's concertos and contemporary Polish harpsichord music.
Dariusz Paradowski is a Professor at the Vocal and Acting Department of the Stanisław Moniuszko Academy of Music in Gdańsk. With a distinguished career as both an academic and performing artist, he has made significant contributions to the field of vocal music and opera performance. His educational background includes studies at the Stanisław Moniuszko Academy of Music in Gdańsk under Alicja Legieć-Matosiuk, followed by further education at the Karol Lipiński Academy of Music in Wrocław in the class of Eugeniusz Sąsiadek, where he earned his diploma with distinction. His expertise focuses on vocal technique and historical performance practice, with specialization in Baroque and Classical repertoire. Professor Paradowski specializes in Baroque music and classical opera, with a particular focus on countertenor repertoire. His performance career spans nearly 30 opera roles including works by Handel, Monteverdi, Gluck and Mozart. His artistic output demonstrates deep engagement with historical performance practices while maintaining contemporary relevance. His recordings from 1994-2008 showcase his artistic evolution from Baroque oratorios to contemporary compositions, reflecting his versatility and deep understanding of diverse musical styles. Second Prize and Special Award at Vocal Competition in Bratislava - Hommage a Lucia Popp (1996) Polityka Passport Award (1997) Silver Cross of Merit (2006) Mayor of Gdańsk Award (2007) Beyond his academic and performance work, Professor Paradowski serves as Director of the Europe-Art Association based in Paris, is a co-founder and director of the Gdańsk Chamber Opera, and has created and directed the Hel Summer Chamber Music Festival since 2002. His leadership extends to artistic administration and festival organization, demonstrating his commitment to advancing musical culture both in Poland and internationally.
John Liberatore is an Associate Professor of Music Theory and Composition at the University of Notre Dame, renowned as a composer, pianist, and one of the world's few active glass harmonica performers. His critically acclaimed work explores poignancy through levity, ambiguity through transparency, and complexity within simple textures, creating music that feels "pulled along at varying speeds in multiple directions, but always forward." His academic foundation includes: PhD and MM from the Eastman School of Music BM, summa cum laude, from Syracuse University Liberatore's creative research centers on contemporary classical composition with emphasis on chamber music, vocal works, and glass harmonica performance. His distinctive style merges intricate textures with apparent simplicity, generating multi-layered emotional narratives that challenge traditional expectations of musical directionality while maintaining cohesive forward motion. This approach has established him as a significant voice in new music. His recent output—including "Owl in Five Stories" and "Strange, High Sky"—demonstrates sophisticated narrative integration across diverse genres. These compositions reveal evolving techniques in instrumental coloration and performer-composer collaboration, particularly through works featuring unconventional instrumentation like the glass harmonica. Liberatore consistently bridges acoustic tradition with experimental approaches, creating accessible yet structurally complex works. Major recognitions include: MacDowell Colony Fellowship (with 2017 NEA Fellowship) Tanglewood, Yaddo, Brush Creek, I-Park, and Millay Colony Fellowships Fromm Music Foundation and American Opera Initiative Commissions Two ASCAP Morton Gould Awards Brian Israel Prize Presser Music Award (2012) Liberatore's creative work is sustained through prestigious grants including the NEA Fellowship and Presser Music Award, enabling deep collaborations with ensembles like Roomful of Teeth and soloists including Daniel Druckman and Jamie Jordan. His 2015 commission of a new glass harmonica has positioned him at the forefront of reviving this rare instrument in contemporary practice, leading to innovative performance-composition synergies that inform both his pedagogy and artistic output. He maintains active artistic partnerships with Bent Frequency, Duo Damiana, and the Concert Choir of Old Saint Patrick’s, while his glass harmonica performances—such as in "Owl in Five Stories"—showcase his unique position at the intersection of historical instrument revival and cutting-edge composition.
Kate Soper is an Associate Professor of Music and the Iva Dee Hiatt Professor at Smith College, where she teaches in the Department of Music within the College of Arts and Sciences. As a composer, vocalist, and performer, she has established herself as a significant figure in contemporary classical music and music theater. Her research interests focus on the integration of drama and rhetoric into musical structure, the continuums of expressivity and intelligibility, and the eclectic landscape of the human voice. Soper's work consistently explores philosophical questions related to epistemology, the nature of reality, and the complex relationship between text and music. Her recent compositions and performances reveal trends toward increasingly ambitious interdisciplinary projects that blend opera, theater, and philosophical inquiry. Works like 'The Romance of the Rose' and 'The Hunt' demonstrate her growing focus on large-scale music theater that engages with historical and mythological themes while maintaining contemporary relevance. Rome Prize Fellow Pulitzer Prize Finalist (2017 for IPSA DIXIT) Guggenheim Fellow American Academy of Arts and Letters awardee Koussevitzky Foundation commission recipient Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study fellow Soper is a co-director and performing member of Wet Ink, a New York-based new music ensemble dedicated to seeking out adventurous music across aesthetic boundaries. Her performances as a new music soprano have been featured in premieres of works by prominent contemporary composers, and her distinctive vocal style has earned praise as a 'dazzling vocalist' (New Yorker) and been likened to 'Lucille Ball reinterpreted by Linda Blair' (Pitchfork Magazine).
Gareth Evans serves as a Lecturer in Theatre and Performance at Aberystwyth University within the Department of Theatre, Film, and Television Studies, where he has taught since September 2007 and became a full-time faculty member in 2012. His academic profile is deeply rooted in Welsh-language performance contexts and contemporary European theatre practices. His educational qualifications include an MA from the University of Wales (Cymru), a PhD from Aberystwyth University (awarded 2012), and a Postgraduate Certificate in Teaching in Higher Education (PGCTHE). He holds professional recognition as a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (FHEA). Evans' research centers on postdramatic theatre theory, Welsh-language performance in Wales, and the works of playwright Aled Jones Williams. His scholarship critically examines linguistic politics, national identity construction, and translation technologies within post-devolution Welsh drama. He actively explores intersections between contemporary opera, music theatre, and small-nation performance frameworks. Analysis of his 2007-2024 publications reveals sustained engagement with Welsh cultural sovereignty through performance. His output demonstrates an evolution from foundational studies on postdramatic aesthetics to recent investigations of heterotopic spaces in translated drama, maintaining consistent focus on linguistic identity and theatrical futurity in Welsh contexts. His professional recognition includes: Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (FHEA) Evans supervises postgraduate research including Puck Andrew's Master of Philosophy thesis. He actively participates in academic discourse through six conference engagements (2013-2016) at TaPRA and IFTR events, and contributes public scholarship as The Guardian 's theatre reviewer since 2018, with media appearances including Radio Wales Arts Show (2025) and commentary on National Theatre Wales. As a practitioner-scholar, he collaborates with the performance collective random people, integrating embodied practice with theoretical inquiry. His current research culminates in a monograph on Aled Jones Williams for University of Wales Press, extending his decade-long examination of Welsh-language theatrical innovation.
Prof. Dr. Thomas Bauer is a leading Islamic scholar at the University of Münster, specializing in Arabic and Islamic studies. He combines philological text analysis with innovative cultural and mentalité history approaches. Education: Studied Islamic Studies and Semitic Philology in Erlangen-Nuremberg (PhD and Habilitation). Research Interests: Focus on Arabic poetry (especially Mamluk and Ottoman periods), ambiguity in Islamic culture, and intercultural understanding. Notable Publications: Includes 'A Culture of Ambiguity' (2021), 'The Simplification of the World' (2018), and 'Why There Was No Islamic Middle Ages' (2018). Academic Leadership: Founder of the Center for Religious Studies and member of the Cluster of Excellence 'Religion and Politics in Pre-Modern and Modern Cultures'. Bauer’s recent articles explore Mamluk literature, cultural competition, and rhetoric beyond Eurocentrism. His work highlights the historical openness of Islamic societies to ambiguity and diversity. Scientific Awards: WISSEN! Sachbuchpreis (2019) Tractatus-Preis (2018) Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz Prize (2013)
Christopher Baker serves as Associate Professor of Dramaturgy in the Theater Department at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, bringing over 30 years of professional experience across regional, Off-Broadway, and academic theater. Previously, he held roles including Associate Artistic Director and Senior Dramaturg at Hartford Stage (1998-2013), taught at the University of North Carolina, Moscow Art Theatre School, and Hartt School, and served as literary advisor to Juilliard School of Drama. His creative expertise spans dramaturgy, playwriting, and directing, with notable works including the record-breaking adaptation of Pride and Prejudice , original plays The Lincoln Vaudeville and Calliope Jam , and directorial projects like Oleanna and Hartford Opera Theatre productions. Scholarly contributions include books Shakespeare in an Hour and Molière in an Hour , plus articles in Theatre Journal and American Theatre covering historical theater practices and contemporary dramaturgy. Baker has mentored through academic appointments and advisory roles, with professional credits including dramaturgy for the North American premiere of The King's Speech , Horton Foote's The Roads to Home , and Tennessee Williams' The Night of the Iguana . His work consistently bridges classical texts and modern performance, emphasizing literary adaptation and directorial innovation within American theater traditions.
Isabelle Rohner is an Assistant Professor of Modern Music History at the Department of Musicology, Faculty of Humanities, University of Basel. She completed her master's degree in 2023 with a thesis on Dmitri Shostakovich's compositional reception of Gustav Mahler. Her academic journey includes roles as a teaching assistant, tutor, and internships in concert dramaturgy, opera directing, and orchestra management at the University of Basel. Education: University of Basel (Musicology and Media Studies). Rohner's research focuses on 20th-century music, particularly the interplay between Gustav Mahler and Dmitri Shostakovich, musical reception studies, and the grotesque in classical compositions. Her work bridges historical analysis with modern interpretations of orchestral and operatic traditions. Notable trends in her academic output include studies on the evolution of modern music history and the influence of earlier composers on 20th-century works. While limited to her thesis in the available data, her interests span broader subfields such as Mahler-Shostakovich cross-referencing and grotesque aesthetics in music. As a current faculty member, Rohner contributes to the department's academic and organizational activities, including participation in seminars and collaborative projects. She is actively involved in the department's research on historical and contemporary musicological themes.
Laura Karpman is a Professor of Music and Film at UCLA's School of Theater, Film & Television, recognized as a four-time Emmy Award-winning composer whose works have been performed by major orchestras including the Los Angeles Philharmonic, Czech Philharmonic, and Orchestra of St. Luke's. Education: Doctorate from Juilliard, studying with Milton Babbitt Research Interests: Karpman's creative practice bridges music composition for film, television, and concert performance with multimedia innovation. Her expertise spans orchestral composition, film scoring, and cross-disciplinary collaborations, exemplified by projects like 'Ask Your Mama' (premiered at Carnegie Hall with Jessye Norman and The Roots) and the upcoming freeway-themed opera 'One-Ten' commissioned by the Los Angeles Opera. She explores intersections of classical traditions with contemporary Black cultural narratives and technological integration. Scientific Awards: Four-time Emmy Award winner Ives Fellowship from the American Academy of Arts & Letters ASCAP Foundation Grant Meet the Composer Grant Grants and Collaborations: Karpman has secured significant funding through ASCAP Foundation and Meet the Composer grants for concert music development. She is currently co-creating 'One-Ten', a multimedia opera commissioned by the Los Angeles Opera with collaborators M.G. Lord and Shannon Halwes, commemorating the 70th anniversary of the 110 Freeway. Her industry partnerships include work with Steven Spielberg, Showtime, ABC, and PBS.
Michael Hackett serves as a Professor of Directing and Theater History and Chair of Theater at the UCLA School of Theater, Film, and Television. His distinguished career spans international venues including the Royal Opera (Covent Garden), Royal Theatre (The Hague), and major Los Angeles institutions such as the Los Angeles Philharmonic at the Hollywood Bowl and Los Angeles Opera, where he is a frequent lecturer. His professional expertise centers on Theater Directing, Theater History, Opera, Classical Greek Drama, and Indigenous Performance practices. Key projects include directing Sophocles’ Philoktetes for the Getty Villa and preparing "Ceremony for Mother Earth: A Healing" with Hanay Geiogamah for the American Indian Dance Theatre, reflecting his commitment to cross-cultural and healing-centered artistic work. As Department Chair, Hackett provides academic leadership and mentorship while maintaining an active professional practice. His collaborations with institutions like Musica Angelica, LA Theatre Works, and the Geffen Playhouse demonstrate a career bridging classical traditions with contemporary performance, emphasizing community engagement and cultural dialogue in theater arts.
Robin Shane is an Associate Professor of Theatre in the School of Communication, Media and Performing Arts at Rider University. She has over 25 years of professional experience as a costume designer and is a proud member of United Scenic Artists. Education: MFA from Tisch School of the Arts at New York University Bachelor's degree in Theater and Psychology from Wesleyan University Research and Professional Focus: Professor Shane's academic and professional work centers on theatre, with a specialization in costume design. Her extensive career includes notable designs for productions such as Brundibar and Comedy on the Bridge (performed at Berkeley Repertory Theater, Yale Rep, and New Victory Theater) and Ms. Estrada at The Flea Theater. She has designed for a wide range of theaters including Theatre Exile, Philadelphia Artists' Collective, EgoPo (as resident costume designer), Passage Theater (as Resident Designer), and others. Her work demonstrates a commitment to both classical and contemporary theatre. Additionally, she is actively involved in social justice causes within the arts community. Awards: KCACTF Honorable Mention for Metamorphoses Professional Affiliations and Teams: Robin Shane has served as resident costume designer for Rider Theatre and Dance Productions and Westminster Choir College Operas (2012-2018). She is a member of United Scenic Artists and has been a board member of Yes! And… Collaborative Arts in Philadelphia. Her past residencies include EgoPo and Passage Theater.
Christopher Withrow serves as Assistant Professor of Voice in the Music Department at Samford University's School of the Arts, where he leverages extensive professional performance experience in vocal instruction. A baritone acclaimed for "bringing masculine gravity both in voice and performance," he has collaborated with major U.S. institutions including Opera Fairbanks, Townsend Opera Players, and the Tuscaloosa Symphony Orchestra. His educational foundation includes: Bachelor of Music from California State University, Stanislaus Master of Music from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas Doctor of Musical Arts from The University of Alabama Dr. Withrow's artistic expertise spans operatic and concert repertoire, with signature roles in Puccini's Gianni Schicchi , Mozart's Le Nozze di Figaro , and Strauss' Die Fledermaus . His concert work encompasses major compositions by Brahms ( Ein Deutsches Requiem ), Bach ( Coffee Cantata ), and contemporary pieces like Cohen's Alzheimer's Stories , demonstrating mastery across Baroque, Classical, Romantic, and modern eras. His professional recognition includes: 2019 Vann Vocal Institute winner Major scholarship recipient from the McConnell Foundation As a core faculty member, Dr. Withrow directs vocal training and performance coaching within Samford's Division of Music, integrating his active stage career into pedagogical practice without documented research grants or laboratory affiliations.
George Criddle is a Lecturer in Visual Arts at La Trobe University's School of Visual Arts & Design, where they engage in experimental socially engaged projects spanning sculpture, installation, video, and performance. As a queer British-Australian artist-researcher, their practice critically interrogates settler colonialism through interdisciplinary collaboration with Indigenous communities. Education: PhD, Monash University Masters of Fine Art, Monash University Bachelor of Fine Arts (Honours), Curtin University Research centers on Critical Settler Art methodologies, exploring how settler artists can confront inherited colonial privileges through truth-telling practices informed by Catherine Malabou's philosophy and First Nations scholarship. Their work utilizes family narratives as sites of decolonial inquiry and manifests in community-led projects on Yamaji Country, emphasizing embodied practices like ritual and performance to address historical erasure. Recent publications reveal consistent focus on settler accountability in Australian art history, with interdisciplinary approaches bridging visual arts, performance studies, and critical Indigenous theory. The work demonstrates evolving methodologies from academic research (PhD thesis) to community co-creation (opera projects). Scientific Awards: APHIDS Supermassive Program (2024) Art On The Move Development Exhibition Touring Grant for 'Silence Listening' (2024) No formal PhD/Master's advisees are documented, but Criddle actively mentors emerging artists through programs like Kings Artist Run Gallery's Emerging Writers Program (2023). Grant funding supports community-engaged research including memorial ceremonies and cross-cultural artistic productions. As an associate member of Artery Cooperative studio complex, Criddle collaborates with Yamaji artists on truth-telling initiatives including the 170-Year Remembrance Ceremony for the Pelican Spring Massacre and 'Murla-na Bula Wula Bulangul', a Naaguja-style opera addressing colonial violence.
