Personal statement

Amanda leads an interdisciplinary research group on . One of her research areas examines creative processes across repertoires, genres and cultures, including composer-performer collaborations and rehearsal analysis. She has been Co-Investigator on two projects funded by the European Research Council:  (2015-2023); and  (2017-2023) leading an improvisation case study. She is co-editor of a new book series with Routledge on Transcultural Music Practices, reviews editor for Ethnomusicology Forum, and humanities editor for the Journal of Interdisciplinary Music Studies.

Recent developments in Amanda’s research involve intersections between nature and music. In 2022-23 she led an ESRC/AHRC research network between the UK and South Korea on Ecotones: Soundscapes of Trees. A small, collaborative project on  Interspecies Listening in 2021 led to a NERC-funded project, Hear Water: building environmental empathy through deep listening (2022) followed by (funded by a 黑料正能量 AHRC Impact Accelerator Award (IAA) in 2023-24). 

The international context of her work extends to projects she leads with researchers in the UK and at the University of Zimbabwe, on , and with researchers at the University of Namibia on in Kwando, Namibia. The latter was part-funded by Rapid Impact (AHRC IAA) in 2024. She has recently received Rapid Impact funds to support her research and performance in a British-Council funded project in 2025:

Amanda’s interests in the areas of performance and analysis, and processes of composition, rehearsal and performance in contemporary music, stem from her PhD at the University of Reading on Bartók Performance Studies. Playing viola she is a regular member of the Brandon Hill Chamber Orchestra and the Crescent Quartet.

Amanda is editor of The Cambridge Companion to Bartók (Cambridge University Press, 2001) and (Cambridge University Press, 2010) for which she received the Ruth A. Solie Award from the American Musicological Society in 2011.

She was President of the Society for Music Analysis from 2004 to 2008. From 2007 to 2009 she led a collaborative research project with the Kreutzer Quartet and Michael Finnissy entitled: ‘From Composition to Performance: Innovations and Interactions in Contemporary String Quartets’ funded by a British Academy Larger Research Grant. One of the significant outputs of this research is the software DVD, Evolution and Collaboration: the composition, rehearsal and performance of Finnissy’s Second String Quartet, produced with Michael Clarke (University of Huddersfield) in 2011.

Additional outputs relating to this collaborative research include the Kreutzer Quartet’s DVD Quartet Choreography and their recording of Finnissy's Second and Third String Quartets, the latter being dedicated to Amanda in 2009.

Academic qualifications

  • PhD - Reading
  • MMus - Surrey
  • BA (Hons) - Dartington College of Arts

Professional qualifications

  • PGCertHE

Current scholarship

  • For details of recent and current research projects, and areas for PhD supervision, please visit my website: http://amandabayley.co.uk/

Professional memberships

  • AHRC Peer Review College (2014-2000)
  • Fellow of the Higher Education Academy
  • Member of the international advisory panel for the AHRC Research Centre for the History and Analysis of Recorded Music (CHARM) [2004-2009]
  • President of the Society for Music Analysis [2004-2008]
  • Committee member/Secretary of the National Association for Music in Higher Education [2002-2006]
  • Events Officer of the Society for Music Analysis [2000-2004].

Current memberships:

  • American Musicological Society
  • British Forum for Ethnomusicology
  • Royal Musical Association
  • Society for Music Analysis
  • Sound and Music.

External examiners

  • University of Sheffield (2018-2022)
  • Kingston University [BMus(Hons), 2005-2008] 
  • Kneller Hall Military School of Music [BMus(Hons), 2005-2008].

Other external roles

  • Reviews Editor for Ethnomusicology Forum (2024 - )
  • Humanities Editor for the Journal of Interdisciplinary Music Studies [2012-]
  • Regular peer reviewer of articles for academic journals and book manuscripts [2005-].

Teaching Specialism

  • Twentieth-century music history and analysis
  • Performance Studies
  • World Music
  • Ethnomusicology

PhD examinations

  • Royal Academy of Music 
  • University of Bristol
  • Canterbury Christ Church University
  • Cardiff University
  • University of Music and Performing Arts, Graz, Austria
  • University of Huddersfield
  • University of New England, Australia
  • Royal Birmingham Conservatoire
  • Royal Holloway, University of London
  • Sydney Conservatorium.

Current PhD supervisions 

  • Matt Dicken ‘The Paraguayan Polca: re-imagining tradition in the twenty-first century [2016-2025]
  • Pedro Duarte ‘Reimagining Fado: the electric guitolão and the album Ç’aloyo’ [2017-2025]
  • Ahmed Abdul Rahman ‘The Contribution of Mohamed Wardi to Nubian Music and to the Development of Sudanese City Music’ [2020-]
  • Peter Underwood ‘How performance practices reflect power structures in the Military Wives Choirs’ [2021-]
  • Pete Yelding ‘The Body as Musical Archive: Sustaining the embodied knowledge of the Lucknow-Shahjahanpur Gharana through translations between sarod, sitar and cello’ [2021-2025]. 

Research outputs

book

Bayley, A, ed. (2010) Recorded music: performance, culture and technology. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge. ISBN 9780521863094

book

Bayley, A (2001) The Cambridge companion to Bart贸k. Cambridge Companions to Music . Cambridge University Press, Cambridge. ISBN 9780521669580

book_section

Bayley, A, Gill, J and Sappho, M (2027) 'New approaches to listening: musical practices through technology, nature connection and outdoor learning.' In: Burnard, P and Murphy, R, eds. Teaching music creatively. 3rd ed. Routledge, Abingdon. (Forthcoming)

book_section

Bayley, A (2026) 'Understanding interculturalism in music education, community and creative practice.' In: King, E and Desbruslais, S, eds. Music and interculturalism: perspectives in education, community and creative practice. Routledge, Abingdon, pp. 1-19. ISBN 9781041172789

book_section

Bayley, A (2018) 'Cross-cultural collaborations with the Kronos Quartet.' In: Clarke, E and Doffman, M, eds. Distributed creativity: collaboration and improvisation in contemporary music. Oxford University Press, New York, NY, pp. 93-113. ISBN 9780199355914

book_section

Bayley, A and Dutiro, C (2016) 'Developing dialogues in intercultural music-making.' In: Burnard, P, Mackinlay, E and Powell, K, eds. The Routledge international handbook of intercultural arts research. Routledge, Abingdon, pp. 391-403. ISBN 9781138909939

book_section

Bayley, A and Heyde, N (2013) 'Interpreting indeterminancy: filming Lutoslawski's String Quartet.' In: Polish music since 1945. Musica Iagellonica, Krakow, pp. 228-243. ISBN 9788370991852

book_section

Bayley, A and Clarke, M (2010) 'Analysing Michael Finnissy鈥檚 Second String Quartet: a multimedia interactive approach.' In: Utz, C, ed. Music theory and interdisciplinarity: 8th Congress of the Gesellschaft f眉r Musiktheorie Graz 2008. Musik theorien der gegenwart (4). Pfau, Saarbr眉cken. ISBN 9783897274488

book_section

Bayley, A (2010) 'Multiple takes: using recordings to document creative process.' In: Bayley, A, ed. Recorded music: performance, culture and technology. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, pp. 206-224. ISBN 9780521863094

book_section

Bayley, A (2007) 'The nature of expressivity in Berio鈥檚 Sequenza VI for viola.' In: Halfyard, J, ed. Berio's Sequenzas: essays on performance, composition and analysis. Ashgate, Aldershot ; Burlington, VT, pp. 233-254. ISBN 9780754654452

book_section

Bayley, A (2001) 'The string quartets and works for chamber orchestra.' In: Bayley, A, ed. The Cambridge companion to Bart贸k. Cambridge companions to music . Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, pp. 151-174. ISBN 9780521669580

article

Bayley, A, Hinde, K, McCree, M and Thornhill, I (2026) 'Hear Water: creative, technology-enhanced pedagogy for the arts and nature connectedness.' Impact, 27. ISSN 2514-6955

article

Bayley, A, Clough, N, Dirwai, C, Manatsa, P and Tarr, J (2025) 'Understanding community engagement in forest restoration in rural Zimbabwe through intercultural dialogue and participatory action research.' Journal of Sustainable Development in Africa, 27 (2). pp. 79-104. ISSN 1520-5509

article

Thornhill, I, Bayley, A, Collins, T.M, Goto, R, Hinde, K, Hunter, V, Kang, J, Kim, H, Kim, J, Kim, J.G, Lawfull, S, Lee, T, O'Brien, L, Rabiey, M, Shin, W.S, Sochacka, A, Walton, S, Wishart, S and Yu, J (2025) 'Natural soundscapes as a disciplinary bridge in pursuit of sustainability: research themes and priorities.' Ecosystems and People, 21 (1). e2571450. ISSN 2639-5916

article

Bayley, A and Parsons, J (2024) '"Listening to nature" 鈥� the rewards of an eco-creative curriculum.' Teaching Times, 23 (4). ISSN 2105-6625

article

Hughes, D and Bayley, A (2024) 'Pedagogical considerations: facilitating agency in the vocal recording of early career singer-songwriters.' Journal of Popular Music Education, 8 (2). pp. 179-196. ISSN 2397-673X

article

Bayley, A and Heyde, N (2017) 'Communicating through notation: Michael Finnissy鈥檚 Second String Quartet from composition to performance.' Music Performance Research, 8. pp. 80-97. ISSN 1755-9219

article

Bayley, A and Liz茅e, N (2016) 'Creative layers and continuities: a case study of Nicole Liz茅e and the Kronos Quartet.' Musicae Scientiae, 20 (3). pp. 392-412. ISSN 1029-8649

article

Bayley, A (2011) 'Ethnographic research into contemporary string quartet rehearsal.' Ethnomusicology Forum, 20 (3). pp. 385-411. ISSN 1741-1912

article

Bayley, A (2010) 'Enqu锚te sur la gen猫se du Deuxi猫me quatuor 脿 cordes de Michael Finnissy.' Genesis: Revue Internationale de Critique G茅n茅tique, 31. pp. 37-54. ISSN 1167-5101

article

Bayley, A and Clarke, M (2009) 'Analytical representations of creative processes in Michael Finnissy鈥檚 Second String Quartet.' Journal of Interdisciplinary Music Studies, 3 (1&2). pp. 139-157. ISSN 1307-0401

article

Bayley, A (2000) 'Bart贸k's String Quartet No. 4/III: a new interpretative approach.' Music Analysis, 19 (3). pp. 353-382. ISSN 1468-2249

conference_item

Bayley, A (2017) Researching cross-cultural collaborations. In: International Symposium of Ethnographies of Musical Heritage, 21 - 24 November 2017, Federal University of Pelotas, Pelotas, Brazil.

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Bayley, A and Nooshin, L (2017) Whose difference? Whose 'multiculturalism'? In: British Forum for Ethnomusicology One-Day Conference: 'Listening to Difference' - Music and Multiculturalism, 21 October 2017, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK.

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Bayley, A (2017) Crossing musical bridges: composers, performers and intercultural encounters. In: Professorial Lecture Series 2016-17, 22 February 2017, 黑料正能量, Bath, UK.

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Bayley, A (2016) On composer-performer collaboration. In: Michael Finnissy: Dialogues, 17 November 2016, University of Huddersfield, Huddersfield, UK.

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Bayley, A and Dutiro, C (2015) Creating new music across cultural boundaries: mbira and string quartet. In: Tracking the Creative Process in Music: Third International Conference, 8-10 October 2015, Institut de Recherche et Coordination Acoustique/Musique, Paris, France.

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Bayley, A (2015) Women and analysis. In: KeeleMAC 2015: The Keele Music Analysis Conference, 8-10 July 2015, Keele Hall, Keele University, UK.

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Bayley, A and Liz茅e, N (2013) Layers of creativity in composition, rehearsal and performance: Nicole Liz茅e and the Kronos Quartet. In: Tracking the Creative Process in Music Second International Conference, 10-13 October 2013, Universit茅 de Montr茅al, Montreal, Canada.

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Bayley, A (2013) Discourses in the recording studio. In: Online Conference on Performance in the Studio. Convened by the (UK) AHRC-funded Research Network on Performance in the Studio (PitS), 29 April-5 May 2013.

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Bayley, A and Elverdam, B (2013) Rehearsal as creative process. In: CMPCP Performance Studies Network Second International Conference, 4-7 April 2013, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK.

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Bayley, A (2012) Mapping a composer's intentions from composition to performance. In: New Music in Britain Conference, 10-12 May 2012, Canterbury Christ Church University, Canterbury, UK.

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Bayley, A (2011) Evolution and collaboration in string quartet composition, rehearsal and performance. In: Tracking the Creative Process in Music International Conference, 29 September - 1 October 2011, Communaut茅 d'Universit茅s et d'Etablissements Lille Nord de France, Lille, France.

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Bayley, A (2011) Rehearsal analysis of Finnissey's Third String Quartet. In: CMPCP Performance Studies Network International Conference, 14-17 July 2011, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK.

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Bayley, A (2009) Ethnographic research into string quartet rehearsal and performance. In: Twenty-fifth European Seminar in Ethnomusicology: Performance, 18-22 September 2009, Milton Keynes, UK.

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Bayley, A (2009) Investigating the interpretative space between notation and performance. In: IAMS Symposium, Music: Notation and Sound, 5-10 July 2009, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.

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Bayley, A and Heyde, N (2009) Interpreting indeterminancy: performing Lutos艂awski鈥檚 String Quartet. In: Polish Music Since 1945, 30 April - 2 May 2009, Canterbury Christ Church University, Canterbury, UK.

conference_item

Bayley, A and Clarke, M (2008) Interactive strategies for analysing music. In: Eighth Congress of the Gesellschaft f眉r Musiktheorie (GMTH), Music Theory and Interdisciplinarity, 9-12 October 2008, University of Music and the Dramatic Arts, Graz, Austria.

conference_item

Bayley, A and Clarke, M (2008) Interactive strategies for analysing musical structure. In: Fourth International Conference on Interdisciplinary Musicology, 2-6 July 2008, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece.

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Bayley, A (2007) The relationship between notation and performance practice in Michael Finnissy鈥檚 Second String Quartet. In: Sixth European Music Analysis Conference on Interpretation, 11-14 October 2007, Hochschule f眉r Musik and the Albert-Ludwigs-Universit盲t, Freiburg, Germany.

conference_item

Bayley, A (2007) Documenting the creative process: recordings as research tools. In: CHARM/RMA annual conference on Musicology and Recordings, 13-15 September 2007, University of London, London, UK.

other

Bayley, A and Clarke, M (2011) Evolution and collaboration: the composition, rehearsal and performance of Finnissy鈥檚 Second String Quartet [DVD].