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RESEARCH
My doctoral thesis examined the relationship between music and nature, both materially and philosophically. Music has been connected to nature from ancient times. Yet contemporary composition faces two significant challenges. Firstly, composers have had a complex relationship with a traditional aesthetics of representation and expression since the early twentieth century. While movements like Futurism revelled in the urban and technological rather than the natural, composers like Messiaen developed new frameworks for the use of natural sounds. Secondly, in the era of climate crisis, many composers are concerned with the role their compositions may play, from articulating voices in nature to protesting human destruction. My research considered these challenges via an analysis of concert music compositions by Kaija Saariaho, Liza Lim, and myself, preceded by an analysis of the aesthetics of music and nature today.
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Copyright Jennifer Hawthorn.
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CONFERENCE PRESENTATIONS
CONFERENCE PRESENTATIONS
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2025
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Envoicing the Silver Croaker Fish: Self-Generating Compositional Techniques. Music and/as Process Royal Musical Assocaition Study Group Annual Conference, University of London.
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2024
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Mimesis and Self-Generation: Envoicing Nature in Contemporary Classical Music. Conference of the Jouenées d'Analyse Musicale, Pôle Sup'93 and Université Paris 8, Paris.
Posthumanism, Nature and the Anthropocene: Liza Lim and Composing for the Climate Crisis. Conference of the Royal Musical Association Music and Philosophy Study Group, King's College London.
Posthumanism and Ecomusicology: Bridging the Polarisation of Nature in Contemporary Classical Music. Music, Musicology and Academic Responsibilities in the 21st Century, UCD Dublin.
Beyond Mimesis: The Composers Place in Nature. RMA/BFE Research Students' Conference, Cardiff University.
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2020
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Hearing is Believing: Transcriptions and the Compositional Process. RMA/BFE Research Students' Conference, The Open University.
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CHAIR/DISCUSSANT
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2025
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Harmony with Distant Planets. London Philharmonic Orchestra, Royal Festival Hall (Moderator).
Rethinking Landscape: Environment, Place, and Heritage in British Music Studies Composers Panel. North American British Music Studies Association, Online (Discussant).
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2024
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PLAY: Music for Game Controllers with the House of Belam. International Anthony Burgess Foundcation, Manchester (Chair).
PLAY: Music for Game Controllers with the House of Belam. Jesus College, University of Oxford (Chair).
Loosening the Canon. RETUNE Festival, University of Oxford (Discussant).
Creative Practices. RMA/BFE Research Students' Conference, Cardiff University (Chair).
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Copyright Jennifer Hawthorn.
TEACHING
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2026 -
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Lecturer in Music, Falmouth University
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2025 -
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Specialist Dissertation Tutor, National Film and Television School
WeCompose, Music in the Round The Brilliant Club |
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2024
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Advancing Teaching and Learning, Oxford Centre for Teaching at Learning
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2023
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Tutor in Composition: Opportunity Oxford, University of Oxford
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2019 - 24
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Freelance College Tutor in Musicology and Composition, University of Oxford
Composition (Acoustic) First Year Course; Finals Course Women and Music in the Nineteenth Century First Year Course Programme Music in the Nineteenth Century Finals Course |
TALKS & OUTREACH
TALKS
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2025
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'Biotic and Mythological: Trees in the Twenty-First Century,' John Bird Seminar, Cardiff University.
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2024
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'"evergreen" and Ecocentric Approaches to Composition,' Dervorguilla Seminar, Balliol College.
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2022
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'Our Noisy Planet,' Balliol College
Winner of the Three Minute Thesis Competition |
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2021
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'Music, Nature and Translation,' Graduate Seminar at Cardiff University
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2020
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Invited talk, Purcell School for Young Musicians
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2020
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‘the singing tree’: Transcriptions from Nature and the Compositional Process,’ St Catherine’s College
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2020
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Hearing is Believing’ Transcriptions and the Compositional Process, Graduate Seminar for Faculty of Music, University of Oxford
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2019
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Invited talk, Parmiter's School, Hertfordshire
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OUTREACH
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2023
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Workshop Facilitator in Composition, Oxford Opera
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2020
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One-to-one feedback for student participating in Extended Project Qualification, Oxford High School GDST
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2020
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Podcast contributor for guest episode, Centre for Teaching and Learning, University of Oxford
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