Rebecca Schneider is a Professor of Modern Culture and Media at Brown University, specializing in performance studies, decolonial methods, and interdisciplinary art practices. Her work interrogates intersections of media, theatre, and Black feminist thought, with a focus on historical reenactment, gesture ethics, and postcolonial critique. Her research interests span decolonial methodologies, liveness in performance, and the prehistories of screen media. Key projects include *This Shoal Which is Not One* (2020), exploring African diasporic narratives, and *Slough Media* (2018), which examines media's materiality. She has been awarded a Guggenheim Fellowship (2021) and the Notable Book Award (2011). Schneider has contributed to journals like TDR, edited special issues on precarity and new materialisms, and collaborated with global institutions including the British Museum and Guggenheim. Her current projects include a digital book on gesture and a work on dance in post-slavery capitalism.
Marco Uvietta is an Associate Professor of Musicology and History of Music at the Department of Literature and Philosophy, University of Trento. He holds a Laurea in Music Disciplines from the DAMS of Bologna (1991) and a PhD in History and Analysis of Musical Cultures from Sapienza University of Rome (1999). His academic career includes roles as a Researcher (2005–2016) and Associate Professor (2016–present) at the University of Trento. He teaches courses on Music History and Ethnomusicology and contributes to the PhD program in European Cultures. His research focuses on two main areas: 1) Musical Philology, particularly in 19th-century Italian opera (e.g., critical editions of Verdi’s Requiem and Bellini’s La straniera), and 2) Analysis of 20th-century musical language, with significant contributions on Luciano Berio’s style and compositional processes. He has authored numerous scholarly works, including books and articles on composers like Berio, Debussy, Stravinsky, and Martucci. Uvietta is actively involved in editorial projects, such as directing critical editions for Ricordi and contributing to the Rossini Critical Edition. He holds leadership roles in academic committees, including the editorial board of Il Saggiatore Musicale . His compositional works, influenced by his analytical research, have been performed by prestigious ensembles worldwide, including the Arditti Quartet and Monteverdi Cello Octet. Notable awards include recognition in composition competitions (e.g., Guido d’Arezzo International Competition), and his works span orchestral, choral, and chamber music. Uvietta’s interdisciplinary approach bridges historical musicology with contemporary compositional practice, reflecting his dual expertise as a scholar and composer.
Samuel Weber (b. 1940) is a distinguished American philosopher, literary theorist, and psychoanalyst. He holds the Paul de Man Chair at The European Graduate School / EGS and the Avalon Foundation Professor of Humanities at Northwestern University , where he co-directs the Paris Program in Critical Theory. His interdisciplinary work spans psychoanalysis , media studies , theatre theory , and deconstruction , with a focus on the Frankfurt School and French poststructuralism . Weber’s research interrogates the politics of institutions (e.g., University and Discipline Formation ), media’s role in identity construction , and theatricality as a structural metaphor for understanding modernity. His seminal works include Return to Freud , Institution and Interpretation , and Benjamin’s Abilities , where he explores iterability and Benjamin’s conceptual style . He has translated foundational texts by Jacques Derrida ( Limited Inc ) and Theodor Adorno ( Prisms ), and co-founded the journal Glyph , instrumental in introducing the Bakhtin circle to the West. His career bridges academia and practice, having worked extensively as a dramaturge in German opera houses.
Professor Jonathan Cole is a composer, teacher, and conductor at the Royal College of Music (RCM), where he has taught since 2005 and served as Head of Composition since 2022. His work bridges experimental composition, music-theatre, and site-specific pieces, earning acclaim from the London Sinfonietta, which premiered three of his works and recorded Testament with Oliver Knussen. Born 1970, Cole studied under Simon Bainbridge, Malcolm Williamson, and Louis Andriessen 1997-2006: Works like Ouroboros II and Testament nominated for RPS Awards 2006: Shift toward Luigi Nono-inspired works, exploring score-performer dynamics and London's environmental sounds 2009-2013: Composer-in-association with London Contemporary Orchestra, premiering burburbabbar za (wordless opera) Co-founded re:sound collective in 2012 for unconventional venue performances Cole’s compositions, such as Lucier Clock (2021) and 50 Florentine Breaths (2016), emphasize spatialization, breath techniques, and the tension between structure and decay. His 2025 co-authored article Personal realities I examines artistic identity in conservatoires. Scientific Awards: Royal Philharmonic Composition Prize (1999) RCM Fellowship (2018) RPS Award Nominations for Ouroboros II and Testament Cole mentors research students like Daniel Musashi and has led educational grants such as the Leverhulme LPO Young Composers Scheme (2007-2012). He collaborates with ensembles including the London Sinfonietta, BBC Philharmonic, and Chicago Symphony Orchestra.
Dr Joanna Neilly is an Associate Professor in German and Fellow & Tutor in German at St Peter’s College, University of Oxford. She specializes in German Romanticism and 19th-century literature, with particular focus on E.T.A. Hoffmann, cultural transfer, and orientalism. She holds a PhD from the University of Edinburgh (2013) and has published extensively on German literature’s global influence. Her current research explores the reception of German Romanticism in contemporary Latin America and modern adaptations of Romantic motifs. Her teaching includes German modern literature (1770–present), translation, and supervising graduate students on topics like 19th-century travelogues and Jewish women in prose fiction. She is the course convenor for the German MSt Special Subject on 'Writing Rivers.' Public engagement includes talks at the Royal Opera House and BBC Radio 3, as well as contributions to the award-winning podcast The World of Gustav Mahler . Education: PhD (University of Edinburgh, 2013), BA (Oxford, 2003) Labs/Teams: Involved in interdisciplinary projects on world literature and cultural transfer Grants: AHRC-funded PhD
Christine Carter is an Associate Professor of Single Reeds at Memorial University’s School of Music in St. John’s, Newfoundland, Canada. She holds a B.Mus (Western University), M.Mus (McGill University), and D.M.A. (Manhattan School of Music). Her research focuses on performance psychology and music practice strategies, collaborating with Dr. Jessica Grahn and Dr. Jonathan De Souza at Western University. She leads workshops globally and has published in Strad Magazine , Bulletproof Musician , and Frontiers in Psychology . Her artistic work includes performances with the Iris Trio and Dark by Five, with recent highlights including a 6-concert tour in Germany and collaborations at Carnegie Hall and Sydney Opera House. Carter has performed with prestigious orchestras such as the Montréal Symphony and National Repertory Orchestra. She was elected to the Royal Society of Canada’s College of New Scholars, Artists, and Scientists (2023). Her teaching emphasizes clarinet and saxophone instruction, with students advancing to top graduate programs. She coordinates the Single Reed Studio and hosts visiting artists like Mark Nuccio (Principal Clarinet, Houston Symphony) and the Quasar Saxophone Quartet. Current research explores optimizing music learning via SSHRC grants, bridging neuroscience and pedagogy. Grants: SSHRC Insight Development Grant (2023) Labs/Teams: Iris Trio, Dark by Five, Music and Neuroscience Lab (visiting scholar)
François de Médicis is a full professor in musicology at the Faculty of Music, Université de Montréal . His research focuses on French and Russian music from the early 20th century, particularly Debussy, Milhaud, Scriabin, and Stravinsky . He serves on the editorial committee for the Bärenreiter critical edition of Saint-Saëns' works and co-edits academic publications on musical modernity. PhD in Musicology from McGill University (1998) Scientific Committee member, Italian Institute for Applied Musicology (since 2022) Research Interests : Specializing in 20th-century French and Russian music, he investigates harmonic innovations (like polytonality), stylistic cross-influences, and the intersection of music with historical ideologies. His work spans opera analysis (Mozart), chamber music evolution, and critical reception of composers like Franck. Publication Trends : Recent studies (2018-2024) examine Stravinsky's Franco-Russian connections, Debussy's orchestration, and Franck's legacy. Earlier works analyze Milhaud's polytonality, Mozart's operatic duets, and Brahms' thematic structures. Supervision & Grants : Has supervised 12 graduate theses (PhD and MA), including Alessandro Garino's 2024 dissertation on Herbie Hancock. Leads research projects funded by SSHRC/CRSH and FRQSC , notably on pluridiatonic practices in Stravinsky/Milhaud and French musical ideologies (1870-1950).
Maren Butte is a Professor of Theater and Performance Studies at the Institute for Media and Cultural Studies, Faculty of Arts and Humanities, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, where she has taught and researched since 2016. Previously, she held research positions at the University of Bayreuth (2015), Freie University of Berlin (2011-2014), and University of Basel (2006-2009). Professor Butte completed her doctorate on audiovisual aesthetics of melodrama in 2014. Her academic journey demonstrates consistent interdisciplinary engagement with performance, media, and cultural studies, with particular attention to intersections between artistic practices and theoretical frameworks. She holds the title of apl. Professor (außerplanmäßiger Professor), a permanent academic position in the German system that sits outside the standard salary scale. Her research focuses on performative practices between the arts and between art and everyday (media) life, body techniques and digital technologies. Her teaching emphasizes theater history, theory, and aesthetics at the intersection with media cultural studies: communicative and affective processes (staging, representation, performance), body techniques and knowledge, ritual theories (theater anthropology and transculturality), choreography, gender and fashion studies, intermediality, and transmodal perception (sensory studies). Her scholarly output reveals evolving engagement with the ephemeral nature of performance, politics of visibility, and intersection of embodied practices with technological mediation. Recent work shows increasing attention to queer aesthetics, digital materialism, and politics of belonging in contemporary performance. Publications demonstrate sophisticated understanding of how affect operates as a medium in performance art and how artistic practices navigate disciplinary boundaries. Kuratoriumsmitglied: iDas (International Dance Artist Service NRW) Member: Gesellschaft für Theaterwissenschaft (GTW) Member: Gesellschaft für Medienwissenschaft (GfM) Member: International Federation for Theatre Research Reviewer for: DFG, DAAD, Tanzrecherche NRW Professor Butte regularly presents at international conferences and has delivered numerous invited lectures on topics including techno-aisthesis, contact zones of the body, digital materialism, and post-melodramatic experience. Her editorial work includes forthcoming volumes on choreographic procedures and obscene scenes in performative arts.
Magdalena A. Stern-Baczewska is a Senior Lecturer in Music at Columbia University and Director of its Music Performance Program. A renowned pianist and harpsichordist, she balances academic teaching with an international performing career, blending traditional classical repertoire with innovative跨界 projects. Born in Poland, her early training under state restrictions contrasted sharply with later freedoms, enabling collaborations with figures like composer Tan Dun and experimental works like Hip-Hopsichord . Her Music for Dreams series, developed with sleep medicine insights, combines therapeutic intent with classical reinterpretations. Education highlights include degrees from Mannes College and Manhattan School of Music, culminating in a doctoral dissertation on Bach’s cantabile style. Awards include Poland’s Minister of Culture honor and Yamaha Artist status. Teaching spans global masterclasses using cutting-edge Remote Lesson Yamaha Disklavier technology. Her programming often features underrepresented composers like African-American figures Margaret Bonds and Florence Price, reflecting post-2020 commitments to equity. Recent pandemic-era initiatives include virtual music appreciation programs for seniors and Bach@Home lectures. She currently serves as Artistic Director for the Kosciuszko Foundation Chopin Competition and the BlueSleep Music label.
Woojung Jang is a Lecturer at the Karlsruhe University of Music and the Hochschule für Musik Saar, specializing in Music Theatre and vocal correpetition. She holds a Master's degree in piano accompaniment from Sungshin Women's University and completed her soloist exam with distinction at Karlsruhe University of Music under Prof. Mitsuko Shirai and Prof. Hartmut Höll. Affiliations: Karlsruhe University of Music (Primary Institution) Hochschule für Musik Saar (Teaching Position) Her research and professional activities focus on opera coaching, music theatre production, and vocal training. She has collaborated with prominent artists such as Prof. Júlia Várady and Prof. Dorothea Röschmann in opera projects at the Institute for Music Theatre. Notable recognition includes her distinction for the soloist exam, reflecting her expertise in Lied and vocal accompaniment. She currently teaches singing and correpetition at the Hochschule für Musik Saar, blending pedagogical practice with artistic performance.
Associate Professor Damien Ricketson is a composer and academic at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music, University of Sydney. His research explores vibration, non-cochlear listening, and the intersection of sound with environmental and interdisciplinary studies. He holds affiliations with the Sydney Environment Institute, University of Sydney Nano Institute, and Charles Perkins Centre. Ricketson co-founded Ensemble Offspring (1995–2015), a Sydney-based new music ensemble, and has created works performed globally by ensembles like Sydney Symphony Fellows and MusikFabrik (Germany). His projects include Sound Touch (2022), an immersive work on vibration and the body, and The Howling Girls (2018), an opera addressing trauma through sound. Education : PhD in Composition, Sydney Conservatorium of Music (2007) Masters/Composition studies at Royal Conservatory of The Hague (with Louis Andriessen) IRCAM computer music course (Paris) Research Interests : His work focuses on multisensory music experiences, environmental soundscapes, and technology-driven sensory interfaces. Collaborations with Diana Chester (sound studies scholar) explore human-environment connections through sound, resulting in installations exhibited internationally. Article Trends : Recent publications emphasize interdisciplinary projects merging sound with environmental science (e.g., Sound Touch ), while earlier works focus on percussive innovation ( Chinese Whisper ) and chamber opera ( The Howling Girls ). Awards : International Music Theatre Now Prize (2018) Art Music Awards: Vocal/Choral Work (2019) NSW Composition Award (2008) Advising & Grants : Current students research topics like climate change temporality and virtual heritage representation. Grants include Sydney Environment Institute funding for Listening to the Earth (2022) and Australia Council support for Sound Touch development (2019). Labs/Teams : Co-directs Listening to Earth project with Diana Chester, and collaborates with Ensemble Offspring on archival and performance initiatives.
Haris Kittos is a Greek composer and visual artist teaching at the Royal College of Music since 2004, where he completed his DMus in 2008. His work bridges music composition , video art , and meditative drawing practices , exploring intersections between time perception , memory , and mental health . Doctor of Music (DMus), Royal College of Music (2008) Master of Music (MMus) with distinction, Guildhall School of Music and Drama (2001) Bachelor of Arts (BA), Thessaloniki music and fine art institutions His research investigates interdisciplinary art through projects like the Blue Touch Paper scheme with London Sinfonietta and RC Art exhibitions . Recent works focus on sensory memory triggers , ephemeral media , and cross-cultural collaborations with Japanese ensembles. Key trends in his 2025-2020 compositions include minimalist drawing techniques , time-based creative routines , and sound-visual integration . Major scientific awards include: First Prize, International Composition Competition Città di Udine (2016) First Prize, Greek Composers Workshops (2000) First Prize, Daryl Runswick Competition (1999) Honourable Mention, Earplay Competition (2017) Honourable Mention, Ensemble Nuove Musiche (2018) He mentors doctoral students and receives funding from AHRC , Daiwa Foundation , and RCM Research Development Fund . His 2024-2020 visual works employ frixion pens to document mental states through non-touching line patterns .
Dr Fil Ieropoulos is a Senior Lecturer at Buckinghamshire New University , where he has taught since 2003. He is the Course Leader for the MA 3D Animation for Professionals (Part Time) and also contributes to the BA (Hons) Film Production , BA (Hons) Film and Television Production , and MA Filmmaking programs. He earned his PhD from the University of Kent with a thesis on The Film Poem , reflecting his longstanding engagement with experimental media and interdisciplinary art forms. His research centers on the convergence of film and poetry , avant-garde cinema , queer theory , and political aesthetics . He has published with Edinburgh University Press , Studies in Theatre and Performance , and other academic and artistic platforms. His creative work includes the feature films ORFEAS2021 and Avant-Drag! , the latter winning a Special Jury Prize at the Thessaloniki Documentary Film Festival. He has curated and participated in international events such as The Garden of Dystopian Pleasures at the Athens School of Fine Arts and presented at institutions including the Freud Museum, the Greek National Opera, and the International Film Festival Rotterdam. His recent publications and performances reflect a strong trend toward interdisciplinary critique of post-truth politics, gender, and cultural identity, often blending psychoanalytic theory with performative and audiovisual experimentation. His work spans video installations, conference presentations, and collaborative research, demonstrating a commitment to pushing the boundaries of academic and artistic expression. Scientific Awards and Recognition: Special Jury Prize, Thessaloniki Documentary Film Festival Advising and Grants: While no formal advisees are listed, Dr Ieropoulos leads a postgraduate program and mentors students in experimental filmmaking and interdisciplinary research. His collaborations with major cultural institutions suggest involvement in funded artistic and academic projects, though specific grants are not detailed in the provided texts. Labs, Teams, and Collaborations: He is a co-founder of FYTA , a net label dedicated to the queerification of Greek music, and collaborates with artists and scholars such as Foivos Dousos, Pedro de Senna, and Richard Pfützenreuter. His work with the Garden of Dystopian Pleasures collective and participation in international festivals underscore his role in transnational artistic networks.
Dr Guto Puw is a Senior Lecturer and Reader in Music Composition at Bangor University's School of Music, part of the School of Arts, Culture and Language. He holds a PhD in Composition from Bangor (2002) and has been Head of Composition since 2015. His work spans orchestral compositions, operas, and experimental music theatre, with notable works like Y Tŵr (2017) and Oboe Concerto (2007). He has received the Sir Geraint Evans Award (2013) and a British Composer Awards Listeners’ Prize (2007). Research interests include orchestration, contemporary opera, Ligeti studies, and Welsh musical identity. His teaching focuses on composition techniques, music theatre, and 20th-century repertoire. He co-founded the Bangor Music Festival (2000) and serves as its Artistic Director. Current PhD students include Sa Do Kim (Composition and Conducting) and Zach Reading (Composition). Award-winning compositions like ...onyt agoraf y drws... (Gramophone Magazine, 2015) and Camouflage (2018) showcase his innovative approach to blending traditional and modern elements. He actively promotes new music through collaborations with BBC National Orchestra of Wales and Music Theatre Wales.
Krzysztof Komendarek-Tymendorf is an Associate Professor of Viola and Chamber Music at the Stanisław Moniuszko Academy of Music in Gdańsk and the Feliks Nowowiejski Academy of Music in Bydgoszcz. He holds a PhD and habilitation, specializing in viola performance and contemporary music interpretation. His academic career began at age 24 after winning assistant professor competitions. He has performed globally with major orchestras like the National Philharmonic, Gdańsk Baltic Opera, and international festivals including Berliner Philharmonie and Vienna Konzerthaus. He completed postgraduate studies in Culture Management and MBA at Adam Mickiewicz University. Notable awards include the Bronze Medal for Merit to Culture (Gloria Artis), Opus Klassik nomination, and Fryderyk Award recognition. His discography includes acclaimed albums like ReVIOLAtion (NAXOS) and Quantum of Silence (ODRADEK). As an educator, he teaches at three institutions and mentors over 40 students, many of whom hold positions in leading orchestras and music schools. He actively engages in masterclasses across Europe and North America, and leads initiatives like the EURO Chamber Music Festival. His research focuses on Baroque to contemporary viola repertoire, with publications in the Journal of the American Viola Society.
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