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Kenny plays Oliver

Great video from the inaugural concert of Playlist, the city of Southampton's newest concert series.  Head of Early Music Elizabeth Kenny (theorbo) plays Ben Oliver's 'Extending from the inside', which she premiered at the Cymnock Trust promenade concert in 2014.   https://www.youtube. Continue reading →

Handbook of Topic Theory in Featured Research

The Oxford Handbook of Topic Theory, edited by Professor of Music (and Head of Research) Danuta Mirka, has been added as a Featured Research article on the Women In Music Theory blog, under the auspices of the Society for Music Theory. The article includes a summary of the book by Professor Mirka, and a number of (very positive!) reviews from eminent publications.  The article can be found at the link below: https://womeninmusictheory.wordpress. Continue reading →

Musica Secreta’s new CD

Professor Laurie Stras writes: Musica Secreta’s new CD – out in 2017 on Obsidian Records It’s always difficult to keep things a secret when you are excited about them. I have known for months that my ensemble Musica Secreta’s new CD, Lucrezia Borgia’s Daughter, was signed up for release on Obsidian Records, but have had to wait until this week to tell anyone. It’s been doubly difficult because this project has been part of my life for at least eight years. Continue reading →

Superstar Summer

Jon Gingell teaches guitar at Southampton University as well as working in theatre as performer, programmer and copyist.  He is a Southampton Music graduate. Over the summer break, I have been dividing my time between theatre work in Paris, Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre and the National Theatre, and live gigs on the european blues festival circuit with American singer-songwriter Earl Thomas. In Paris I played guitar, ukulele and banjo for Damon Albarn’s musical Wonder. Continue reading →

Ben at the Beeb

Lecturer in Composition Dr Benjamin Oliver reports on his recent experiences at the BBC.   Several weeks ago I conducted the Workers Union Ensemble for a recording of a new work by Matthew Kaner, Collide, at BBC Broadcasting House. Matt is currently ‘Composer in 3’, a residency with BBC Radio 3 and Sound and Music and is writing ten new pieces to be recorded for broadcast on the station in the next ten weeks. Continue reading →

Postcard from Potsdam

I've just returned from the State University of New York in Potsdam after participating in a fascinating festival on the French composer, conductor and pedagogue, Nadia Boulanger. When founded by the redoubtable Julia Crane in 1886, the Crane Normal Institute of Music was small enough to be run in the living rooms of a house on the town's main street. Today, the Crane School of Music at SUNY Potsdam is a flourishing institution that boasts more than 500 undergraduate music majors. Continue reading →

Sound Heritage returns

Just before the spring break, the Sound Heritage network met up for its second study day on music research and interpretation in country houses. Instead of gathering in the university, we made a field trip out to Chawton, home of Chawton House Library and Jane Austen's House Museum. Continue reading →

Perfect Pianists

On Friday March 4th at 8pm on BBC 4, Professor David Owen Norris presents Perfect Pianists,  a compilation of archive film of great pianists, including Benno Moiseiwitsch, Myra Hess, Artur Rubinstein, Radu Lupu and Murray Perahia - David filmed the links at the Cobbe Collection at Hatchlands, so you’ll hear him as well, playing Chopin on Chopin’s own Pleyel. Continue reading →

Aesthetics, Athletics and Advertising

I always like going out to schools and colleges to meet sixth-formers and their teachers. It’s usually amusing, informative and largely straightforward. Some sort of entertaining academic talk aimed at the 17 and 18 year olds, and an outline of what it’s like to study music at university, career prospects, and so on. I do quite a lot of them, and they usually go very smoothly: everyone has a good time. Continue reading →

Finnissy and Grieg for five

Don't miss a rare opportunity to hear Professor of Composition Michael Finnissy perform his own take on Grieg with the fantastic Kreutzer Quartet at Turner Sims on Monday 7 March, at 1pm.  The concert will be followed by a composition workshop with the Kreutzers for Southampton undergraduate and postgraduate composers. Continue reading →

David Owen Norris learns a thing or two from Jane Austen

David Owen Norris is a pianist, composer, broadcaster, impresario, and Professor of Musical Performance at the University of Southampton. Always a pleasure to visit Chawton House, the home of Jane Austen’s brother, which now houses the International Library of Women’s Writing. I had a meeting with the director, Dr Gillian Dow, to discuss ways to mark this year's 200th anniversary of the publication of Emma. Continue reading →

Bastien Terraz Concert

Bastien Terraz is a freelance double bass and electric bass player and teacher based in Southampton. He is a Southampton University music graduate (BA 2001, MA 2002) and has taught Jazz & Pop bass in the department since 2001. I’ll be playing the Monday lunchtime concert on March 14th this year. Now, I’ve done this about 5 or 6 times before, and whilst I’ve led or co-led the band almost every time in the past, this time it’s going to be a little different. Continue reading →