John Bresland is an Associate Professor of Instruction in the Department of English at Northwestern University's Weinberg College of Arts & Sciences. He specializes in Digital Media & Media Theory and Creative Writing Nonfiction, blending traditional essay formats with multimedia platforms. His work includes video essays like Mangoes (exhibited at the Pulitzer Arts Foundation) and Peyton Place: A Haiku Soap Opera , which reimagines Grace Metalious's controversial novel through layered audiovisual storytelling. His research explores intersections of media theory, cultural critique, and creative nonfiction. Teaching focuses on creative writing and media arts, emphasizing interdisciplinary approaches to narrative. Though no formal academic awards are noted, his innovative projects have been featured in prominent anthologies like Essayists on the Essay: Montaigne to Our Time and The Fourth Genre . Bresland's video essays critically analyze cultural phenomena, such as the legacy of Peyton Place's scandalous TV adaptation and the formal possibilities of haiku in media. His work challenges traditional boundaries between text, image, and sound, reflecting a commitment to evolving creative practices in the digital age.
Dr Catherine Kontz is a London-based composer and professor at the Royal College of Music, specializing in nonlinear forms, visual/spatial elements, and musical theatricality in contemporary composition. She serves as a Doctoral Supervisor and is currently an artist-in-residence at King's College London's Engineering Department. Born 1976 BMus (Hons), MMus, PhD from Goldsmiths Her research spans: Audio technology applications in composition Multimedia operatic productions Site-specific sound installations Interdisciplinary collaboration strategies Cultural synthesis in musical theatre Temporal experimentation in performance Her work has been performed by prestigious ensembles and artists including Solistes Européens Luxembourg, BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, ensemble recherche, Exaudi, and Naomi Woo. Current projects include collaborative research with Professor Zoran Cvetkovic exploring audio technologies and human intelligence processes. Notable achievements: Shortlisted for Quattropole Music Prize Commissioned for European Capital of Culture program Doctoral research connecting Deleuzian theory with mime opera Regular Tête-à-Tête opera festival participant Director of multimedia opera productions Academic contributions include: Supervising doctoral composition students Developing interdisciplinary research projects Teaching contemporary composition techniques Creating large-scale collaborative works Advancing audio technology applications Mentoring emerging composers
Krzysztof Cicheński is an interdisciplinary artist, academic lecturer, and opera director affiliated with the Faculty of Interior Design and Scenography at Magdalena Abakanowicz University of Arts in Poznań (UAP). Since 2025, he holds the rank of Assistant Professor at the Department of Scenography, where he teaches courses such as 'Selected issues in the history of theatre and drama' and 'Introduction to directing.' Education : Doctoral degree in art (visual arts and art conservation) from UAP (2024); Inter-Faculty Interdisciplinary Studies in Humanities (Master's) at Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań (2005–2010). His artistic practice merges opera direction, playwright, libretto writing, set design, and sound art. He specializes in interdisciplinary performances that blend spatial activities, sound installations, and operatic installations, often exploring themes like forgotten works, historical narratives, and socio-cultural commentary. Notable projects include the 2024 opera Wedding (libretto and direction), the 2023 interdisciplinary Landscape , and the 2022 research-based performance The Devil's Wheel , which interrogates the ontological status of lost artworks. His work frequently involves collaborations with institutions like the Zbigniew Raszewski Theatre Institute and Grand Theatre in Warsaw. Scientific Awards : Scholarship of the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage (2024, 2020) Scholarship of the Marshal of the Wielkopolska Voivodeship (2013) He co-founded the Automaton Theatre (2005–2018) and has taught at institutions including Adam Mickiewicz University and the Academy of Music in Poznań. His projects are supported by programs like 'Placówka,' which funds innovative theatrical explorations.
Martha Feldman is the Ferdinand Schevill Distinguished Service Professor of Music and the College at the University of Chicago. A cultural historian specializing in European vernacular musics (1500-1950) with a focus on Italy, her work interrogates intersections of social, political, and artistic phenomena through opera, cinema, media, and voice studies. Education: PhD in Musicology, University of Pennsylvania (1987) Feldman's research spans Renaissance Venice, 18th-century opera seria, and 20th-century castrato legacies. Current projects include The Castrato Phantom and the co-edited volume A Voice as Something More , both exploring voice studies through interdisciplinary lenses. Her publications analyze: Madrigals in Venetian civic culture Opera as political metaphor Voice ontology across media Fellini's operatic influences Courtesan artistic practices Psychoanalysis of vocal identity Scientific Awards: Dent Medal (2001) Graduate Teaching Award (2009) Gordon J. Laing Award (2010) Otto Kinkeldey Award (2015) Member, American Academy of Arts and Sciences (2012) Feldman has received grants from the National Endowment for the Humanities, Guggenheim Foundation, and Getty Research Institute. She mentors graduate students through collaborative research initiatives and co-edited works. Labs/Teams: Principal Investigator, The Voice Project (2013-2016) Member, Neubauer Collegium for Culture and Society Board Leadership, American Musicological Society
Angela Rieck is a Senior Lecturer in Early Childhood Education at the Department of Education, ICT and Learning at Østfold University College, Norway. She holds a Master's degree in Early Childhood Education (2017) and a Bachelor's degree in Drama and Theatre Communication (2014), both from Oslo and Akershus University College. Her academic interests focus on children’s play, aesthetic experiences, and learning processes, particularly for children aged 0-3 years. Rieck has extensive practical experience, including 21 years in kindergarten roles such as educational leader and drama educator. Her research emphasizes toddler science (småbarnsvitenskap), exploring how aesthetic and sensory experiences shape early learning. She co-leads the Regional Arrangements for Competence Development (REKOMP) project, promoting partnerships between kindergartens and higher education institutions. Rieck teaches courses like Children’s Development, Play and Learning and Bachelor Thesis in the Early Childhood Education program. Rieck’s publications span academic articles and book chapters on topics such as bodily interactions in early childhood, pedagogical documentation ethics, and aesthetic learning processes. She actively contributes to podcast discussions on aesthetics and play. Her work bridges theoretical frameworks with practical pedagogical innovations, emphasizing interdisciplinary approaches to early childhood education.
Laura Pernice is a Researcher in Performing Arts at the Department of Humanities, University of Catania, where she teaches History of Theater and Entertainment, Performing Arts and New Media, and Forms of Multimedia Performance in the L-20 and LM-65 degree programs. She holds a PhD in Cultural Heritage and Production Sciences from the University of Catania and has obtained the National Scientific Qualification for Associate Professor in the sector 10/C1 (Theater, Music, Cinema, Television and Audiovisual Media). Her research focuses on interdisciplinary approaches at the intersection of theater studies and digital media. Key areas include multimedia performance, intermediality, contemporary Italian theater, and the integration of new technologies in opera and theatrical production. The recent publications and research projects indicate a strong trend in digital transformation in performing arts, especially in opera remediation, transmedia strategies, and social media use in theater. Her work explores how technology reshapes audience engagement and performance aesthetics. She has supervised multiple theses on topics such as streaming opera, digital dramaturgy, and transmedia musicals, reflecting her engagement with contemporary performance forms. Research grants and projects include the national 'Living Cabiria' (PNRR), the VIRTUA(*)RT project (Pia.ce.ri. 2024–2026), and prior involvement in the ARIE and PuppetPlays projects. Laura Pernice is a member of the research group for: VIRTUA(*)RT – Virtual Rooms for Arts (2024–ongoing) Living Cabiria – PNRR Spoke 2: Creativity and Intangible Cultural Heritage (2023–ongoing) ARIE – Audience, Remediation, Iconography, Environment in Contemporary Opera (2021–2023) PuppetPlays – ERC Advanced Grant (2019) She has also served on the editorial board of Arabeschi. International Journal of Studies on Literature and Visuality since 2015.
Ljubinka Stojanović is an Associate Professor (Docent) at the University of Arts in Belgrade, teaching undergraduate and master's programs in dramaturgy and screenwriting, with additional appointments at the Faculty of Arts, University of Pristina. As a member of the Association of Dramatic Artists of Serbia (UDUS), Association of Screenwriters of Serbia (USS), and Organization of Film Authors (UFUS AFA), she actively shapes Serbia's cultural landscape while leading project development at Balkanic Media production company. Her Doctor of Arts research centers on contemporary identity, hypermodern society, post-memory, and the interplay between the body and new media, with specialized focus on female embodiment in artistic creation. This interdisciplinary framework bridges theatre, film, and digital media to interrogate societal transformations and the boundaries of modern existence through innovative narrative forms. Stojanović's creative trajectory demonstrates consistent evolution from traditional theatre toward multimedia expression, with recent works like the documentary 'End of the Road' and monodrama 'XX' exploring hypermodernity through experimental formats while maintaining deep engagement with cultural memory and social practices. Her accolades include international recognition such as the Balkanska panorama Festival's Best Film Award for 'Prolećna pesma' and the prestigious Slavko Lazarević Award from Politika newspaper, alongside multiple festival prizes for dramatic texts including MESS Festival honors in Sarajevo. Best Film Award for 'Prolećna pesma' at Balkanska panorama Festival, Izmir (2022) Slavko Lazarević Award from Politika newspaper for screenplay excellence (2022) Best Dramatic Text Award at Novi Sad Puppet Theatre Festival (2022) MESS International Theatre Festival Award for dramatization (2011) Award for RTS Documentary Program's 'Serbian Minds Forgotten' (2019) Best Dramatic Text of 2009/2010 season for 'Pit' Regional competition winner for 'Pit' in Mostar (2008) Audience Award at London's Accidental Festival (2007) Stojanović supervises dramaturgy and screenwriting students while securing significant funding from Serbia's Ministry of Culture and Information for projects like the monodrama 'XX', and from the Serbian Film Center for feature film developments including 'Gejmeri' (2015) and 'Kamen u cipeli' (2013). She maintains robust creative partnerships with Balkanic Media production company, the National Theatre in Belgrade, and international collectives like Performing Agora, where she develops boundary-pushing digital performances examining public space and social anxiety through interdisciplinary collaborations spanning theatre, film, and new media artists.
Dr. Melanie Fritsch is a Junior Professor at Heinrich-Heine-Universität Düsseldorf since October 2020, specializing in Media Cultural Studies with a focus on Game Studies and related fields. Her career spans roles as a PR & Communications Manager in the gaming industry, lecturer at Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, and research assistant at Universität Bayreuth and Leipzig. Education: Theaterwissenschaft, Musikwissenschaft, and Neuere Deutsche Literatur at Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, and Sapienza Università di Roma (2000–2008) Doctorate: 2018 at Universität Bayreuth with dissertation 'Performing Bytes. Musikperformances der Computerspielkultur' Current Research: Ludomusicology, performance theory, fan studies, environmental narratives in games Melanie’s research bridges game studies, digital humanities, and musicology, emphasizing games as performative cultural practices. Her work explores intersections of music and gameplay, fan engagement dynamics, and liveness in digital spaces. Key publication trends include: Game music analysis (e.g., 'The Cambridge Companion to Video Game Music') Performance theory in gaming ('Live Performance Games') Environmental narratives in virtual worlds Historical game music studies (1980s Japanese game music) Interdisciplinary methodologies combining musicology and game design She has contributed to major conferences and symposia, including keynote presentations at Universidad de Chile and Kunstuniversität Graz. Her editorial work includes co-editing the peer-reviewed series 'Studies in Game Sound and Music'.
Dr. Juliana M. Pistorius is a music historian affiliated with the University College London (UCL) Institute of Advanced Studies as a Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions Global Postdoctoral Fellow . Her research interrogates the intersections of Western art music, coloniality, and racial politics, particularly in postcolonial contexts. PhD, University of Oxford (2018) Leverhulme Postdoctoral Fellowship, University of Huddersfield (2018-2021) Founding member, Black Opera Research Network (BORN) Reviews Editor, Cambridge Opera Journal Her current project, Beyond Boycott: Musical Internationalism and the Making of Race in Apartheid South Africa , analyzes how classical musicians' participation in apartheid-era South Africa reinforced racial hierarchies. This work builds on her monograph Postcolonial Opera: William Kentridge and the Unbounded Work of Art (forthcoming, 2025), which examines Kentridge's operatic experiments as decolonial narratives. Their research spans interdisciplinary analyses of opera as a colonial tool, cultural resistance in apartheid-era performances, and the ethical paradoxes of music's role in empire-building. Key themes include civic empowerment, racial profiling, and the enduring legacies of colonial soft power in artistic practice. Scientific Awards Leverhulme Postdoctoral Fellowship Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions Global Postdoctoral Fellowship Pistorius is a founding member of the Black Opera Research Network (BORN) , contributes to Cambridge Opera Journal , and collaborates with institutions in South Africa, including the University of the Witwatersrand during her MSCA fellowship's outgoing phase.
Gundula Kreuzer is Professor and Chair of the Department of Music at Yale University, where she has been a faculty member since 2005. She specializes in the history and theory of opera with particular focus on staging, technology, and mediality across historical periods from the 19th century to contemporary experimental opera. Her educational background includes musicology, philosophy, and modern history studies at the Universities of Münster (Westphalia) and Oxford, where she earned her Master of Studies and D.Phil. in musicology. She held a Junior Research Fellowship at Merton College, Oxford, before joining Yale. Kreuzer approaches music through interdisciplinary lenses including social, cultural, and political history as well as theories of technology and multimedia. Her research spans from historical reception of Verdi and Wagner to contemporary indie opera, with special interest in how opera engages with current social issues like race, gender, and inclusivity. She examines the cultural resonances of stage technologies and their hermeneutic potentials, particularly in Wagner's works, while also exploring opera's position in postwar memory cultures and digital transformations. Analysis of her publications reveals a consistent trajectory exploring the intersections between opera, technology, and politics across different historical periods. Her work demonstrates increasing engagement with contemporary issues in opera, particularly focusing on representation, inclusivity, and the evolving nature of opera production in the digital age. Kreuzer's scholarship bridges historical musicology with contemporary cultural studies, creating dialogue between past and present opera practices. Her scientific achievements have been recognized with numerous prestigious awards: Dent Medal from the Royal Musical Association (2019) Lewis Lockwood Award of the American Musicological Society (2011) Gaddis Smith International Book Prize (2012) Martin Chusid Award for Verdi Studies (2013) Alfred Einstein Award (2006) Jerome Roche Prize (2006) Membership in Academia Europaea (2022) Kreuzer has been actively involved in academic service as Reviews Editor for The Opera Quarterly, serving on editorial boards including the Journal of the American Musicological Society, Cambridge Opera Journal, and MGG Online. She has held fellowships at the Whitney Humanities Center, Macmillan Center for International and Area Studies, and Columbia University's Italian Academy. Her leadership extends to creating platforms for scholarly-practitioner dialogue through the YOST (Yale Opera Studies Today) conference series and the Opera Studies Today Working Group, which bridge academic scholarship with artistic practice across Yale's Schools of Music and Drama. Her academic leadership is evident through her service as Director of Graduate Studies, participation in the FAS Dean's Leadership Fellows program (2023-24), and Ivy+ Provost Leadership Fellow in The Faculty Advancement Network Institute (2024-25).
Assoc. Prof. Drahomira Cupar is an Associate Professor at the Department of Information Sciences and Technologies, University of Zadar. She specializes in information organization, digital humanities, and reading habits research. Her work focuses on classification systems, open access publishing, and cultural heritage preservation. She actively participates in projects like TRIPLE, OPERAS-PLUS, and CRAFT-OA. Consultation hours are Wednesdays 10:00–12:00 via email. Her research spans over 60 publications covering digital transformation of historical texts, metadata strategies, and literacy promotion. Key projects include digitization of Glagolitic texts and development of multilingual taxonomies. She teaches courses on information organization, research methodology, and library science. Awards section is currently unspecified. Grants involve EU-funded initiatives focusing on open science infrastructure and digital preservation. She leads the Thesaurus.hr initiative and contributes to the OPERAS network.
Michael Puri is an Associate Professor in the McIntire Department of Music at the University of Virginia, specializing in critical and comparative studies. His office is located in Randall Hall, and he maintains regular consultation hours. With a career blending academic rigor and performance expertise, Puri focuses on the intersection of music theory, cultural criticism, and historical analysis. Education: He holds a Ph.D. and M.Phil in Music Theory from Yale University, a Lehr- und Konzertdiplom in piano performance from the Music Academy of Basel (Switzerland), and a B.A. in Music and Germanic Languages and Literatures from Harvard University. Research Focus: Puri’s scholarship bridges technical music analysis with humanistic inquiry, exploring themes like memory, decadence, and cosmopolitanism in 19th-20th century classical music. His monograph Ravel the Decadent: Memory, Sublimation, and Desire (Oxford, 2011) traces Maurice Ravel’s aesthetic roots in French Decadence, while his current project Sympathetic Resonances challenges dichotomies between German Romanticism and French Modernism. His work frequently engages Wagner, Adorno, and Jankélévitch. Publication Trends: Puri’s articles and reviews consistently examine musical form through interdisciplinary lenses—combining philosophy, cultural theory, and memory studies. Recent works critique rotational structures (2024), analyze Ravel’s models (2017), and explore Wagnerian legacies (2013), reflecting sustained interest in hermeneutics and cross-cultural dialogues. Awards and Fellowships: Alfred Einstein Award (American Musicological Society, 2008) Delta Delta Delta Fellowship (National Humanities Center, 2013-2014) Grants from the Mellon, Ford, Whiting, and Javits Foundations; DAAD; American Philosophical Society Academic Leadership: As Director of Graduate Studies (Music Department) and former Review Editor for the Journal of the American Musicological Society (2017-2019), Puri mentors emerging scholars and shapes disciplinary discourse. He maintains performance activities through UVa’s Center for German Studies, presenting lecture-recitals on Brahms, Schumann, and Liszt.
David Chaillou is a French composer and Lecturer at the University of Lille (Inspe, Arras site) since 2006. He teaches music education and history of the arts to future primary school teachers, and co-leads doctoral seminars in the Praxis and Aesthetics of the Arts team. His research-creation practice bridges composition, historical analysis, and cultural mediation. Doctorate in Contemporary History (Paris IV-Sorbonne, 2001) Graduate of Conservatoire de Paris (musical acoustics, piano, composition) His research focuses on three axes: (1) contemporary hybrid musical forms intersecting theater and concert; (2) opera for young audiences and educational mediation; (3) 19th-century French opera in political contexts (censorship, propaganda). His compositions have been performed internationally at venues like Mozarteum Salzburg , Moscow Conservatory , and Rome’s Trinità dei Monti Church . Recent projects include the nomination for ICMA 2025 for his monographic CD Natures , the world premiere of Un détour par l'Orient (2022) at Opéra Bastille, and collaborative research-creation initiatives with institutions in Austria, USA, and Taiwan. He directs the artistic association Inimaginaires and has received grants from Fondation Napoléon and Fondation Beaumarchais . Key Awards : Grand Prix de la Fondation Napoléon (2004), SACD/SACEM grants Chaillou’s scientific expertise spans editorial work for Revue de Musicologie , jury roles (e.g., SACEM film music prize), and international conference organization. His publications include a monograph Napoléon et l’Opéra (Fayard, 2004) and edited musical books for children’s opera projects.
Miriam Burns is an Assistant Teaching Professor of Orchestral Conducting and Director of Orchestras at The Ohio State University's School of Music. She concurrently serves as Artistic Director and Conductor of the Paragon Philharmonia, Music Director of The Orchestra of the Redeemer (NYC since 1995), and previously led the Tysons McLean Orchestra (VA, 2012–2020). Her career includes over 25 years of international conducting engagements with orchestras like the Sydney Symphony, Houston Symphony, and Magdeburg Philharmonic. Education: Artist Diploma (Yale), Master's/Professional Studies in Conducting (Mannes College), violin degrees (B.M. & M.M., Mannes). Expertise: Specializes in symphonic repertoire, opera, choral conducting, and educational outreach through multimedia projects like RePLAY: Symphony of Heroes (videogame orchestral music). Recipient of prestigious awards including the Thelma Robinson Scholarship and Paul Harris Fellow designation. Active in educational initiatives, she coaches the NAfME All-National Youth Orchestra and mentors choral conductors through Chorus America masterclasses.
Chaya Czernowin serves as the Walter Bigelow Rosen Professor of Music and Graduate Advisor in Composition at Harvard University, where she has held a professorship since 2009. Previously, she was Professor of Composition at the University of California San Diego (1997-2006) and the University of Music and Performing Arts in Vienna (2006-2009), while maintaining a continuous presence at the Darmstadt International Summer Course for New Music since 1990. Her academic foundation includes studies at the Rubin Academy of Music in Tel Aviv with Abel Ehrlich and Izhak Sadai, followed by a DAAD Scholarship in Berlin with Dieter Schnebel (1983-1985). She continued at Bard College with Eli Yarden and Joan Tower before completing her PhD at the University of California San Diego under Roger Reynolds and Brian Ferneyhough. A transformative period composing in Japan (1993-1995, supported by Asahi Shimbun and NEA fellowships) and Germany (1996 at Akademie Schloss Solitude) critically shaped her artistic voice. Czernowin's research centers on deconstructing musical temporality through fragmentation, shifting perspectives, and scale manipulation to access subconscious sonic territories. She pioneers physical parameters of sound (weight, textural surface roughness/smoothness) and noise as structural elements, creating visceral experiences that transcend rational conventions. Her work consistently challenges identity fluidity in instruments and performers, exemplified by 'meta-instruments' that merge and separate ensemble identities across evolving soundscapes. Her compositional trajectory reveals increasing sophistication in temporal distortion and material physics, from 1990s chamber works exploring formal divergence to recent operas integrating multimedia and political narratives. The evolution demonstrates deepening exploration of subconscious expression through slowed time perception (HIDDEN, 2014) and superimposed historical narratives (Infinite Now, 2017), while maintaining signature emotional intensity and physical immediacy. Her distinguished recognition includes the Guggenheim Fellowship (2011), Heidelberger Künstlerinnen Preis (2016), German Record Critics’ Award (2016), and membership in Berlin's Akademie der Künste (2017). Earlier accolades comprise the Kranichsteiner Musikpreis (1992), Siemens Foundation prize (2003), and Fromm Foundation Award (2009), reflecting sustained innovation across decades. Czernowin founded composition programs at Akademie Schloss Solitude (with Steven Takasugi and Jean Baptiste Joly) and Israel's Tzlil Meudcan festival (with Yaron Deutsch), viewing pedagogy as integral to her creative process. Major grants from Rockefeller Foundation (2004), SWR Freiburg Studio (1998-2001), and IRCAM (1998) enabled experimental studio work and international residencies, including Salzburg Festival (2005/06) and Lucerne Festival (2013). Her creative ecosystem involves deep collaborations with Deutsche Oper Berlin (Heart Chamber, 2020), Vlaamse Opera/IRCAM (Infinite Now, 2017), and Mannheim Stadtheater, often partnering with directors like Claus Guth and Luk Perceval. These relationships facilitate large-scale integration of theatrical, literary, and political dimensions within her sonic explorations.
