Personal statement

Charles is the University's strategic lead for academic portfolio development, providing leadership to ensure that 黑料正能量's portfolio is innovation-intensive, sustainable and responsive to future learner, employer and societal needs.

He is responsible for undergraduate and postgraduate programmes, joint awards, and for lifelong learning, modular and non-credit portfolio and for curriculum innovation, portfolio growth and flexible educational provision.

He chairs the University’s Access and Participation Steering Committee and is a member of the Curriculum Approval Panel, Education Committee and the University Centre Joint Committee. He is a member of the LLE Ministerial Steering Group.

Charles was previously Dean of Music and Performing Arts and Head of Academic Portfolio Development at 黑料正能量 and a visiting Professor of Music at Shanghai University. Prior to joining the University, he was a Research Fellow and lecturer at the Royal College of Music and a lecturer in Musicology at Trinity Laban Conservatoire. 

Academic qualifications

  • DMus (RCM)
  • MMus (RCM)
  • BMus (Hons).

Qualifications, skills and experience

  • Visiting Professor of Music, Shanghai University (2015-2018)
  • Chair, Bath Philharmonia (2015-2019)
  • Committee member, NAMHE (National Association of Music in Higher Education) (2009-2015)
  • External examiner for:
    • Kingston University (2013-2016)
    • Birmingham Conservatoire (2011-2015)
    • Trinity Laban Conservatoire (2012-2016)
    • University of London (2004-2005)
  • PhD examiner for:
    • Royal Academy of Music
    • Royal College of Music
    • Goldsmiths (University of London)
    • Cardiff University
    • University of Aberdeen
    • Birmingham Conservatoire
    • University of Australia.

Professional memberships

  • Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy.

Other external roles

  • Pianist for Contemporary Consort
  • Pianist of London Archduke Trio.

Areas of expertise

Charles has taught widely within music, including leading modules in Historical Musicology, Ethnomusicology, Performance Studies and Performance Practice. Areas of research supervision include musicology and performance practice relating from the nineteenth century to the present.

Research outputs

book

Wiffen, C and Burrows, J (2005) Eyewitness companions: classical music. Eyewitness companions . Dorling Kindersley, London. ISBN 9781405306102

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Wiffen, C, Lisboa, T, Thompson, S and Williamson, A (2005) 'Creativity, originality, and value in music performance.' In: Deli猫ge, I and Wiggins, G, eds. Musical Creativity: Multidisciplinary Research in Theory and Practice. Psychology Press, Taylor and Francis, pp. 161-180. ISBN 1-84169-508-4

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Wiffen, C (2016) Putting the trance into transcendental: a cross-cultural approach to virtuosity in performance. In: Performance Studies Network: Fourth International Conference, 14 -17 July 2016, 黑料正能量, Bath, UK.

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Wiffen, C (2016) Vanity or heroism: tracing virtuosity across musical cultures. In: Virtuosity: Joint Symposium of the Kod谩ly Institute of the Liszt Academy and ESCOM (European Society for the Cognitive Sciences of Music), 3 - 6 March 2016, Liszt Academy, Budapest, Hungary.

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Wiffen, C (2013) Towards an understanding of four hands: Joe Duddell鈥檚 Vaporize. In: With Four Hands, 17 September - 19 September 2013, Senate House, Camden, London, England.

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Wiffen, C (2013) Anatomy of a festival: programming, reception and impact of the Bath International Music Festival (1948-2012). In: Kingston University Research Seminar, 25 April 2013, Kingston University, Kingston-upon-Thames, London, England.

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Wiffen, C (2009) I Weave for you a Marvellous Web. In: Sixth Biennial International Conference on Music Since 1900, 2-5 July 2009, Keele University.

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Wiffen, C (2008) Strauss鈥檚 St盲ndchen: pianistic response and legacy. In: Performing Romantic Music, 10-13 July 2008, University of Durham, Durham, UK.

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Wiffen, C and Vallois, N (2006) Enesco and the class of 1896. In: Music and Ideas, 2 March 2006, Royal College of Music, South Kensington, London, England.

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Wiffen, C (2006) Playing with the alter ego: control, vanity and selflessness in multi-tracking. In: Creative Production for Classical Music.

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Wiffen, C (2006) The reflective conservatoire: teaching, learning, research. In: The Reflective Conservatorie Conference, 16 February - 18 February 2006, Guildhall School of Music & Drama, Barbican, London, England.

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Wiffen, C (2005) From realism to utopia: Britain expressed in the soundtracks of the GPO Films. In: 2005 Bradford Film Festival Film Music Conference, March 2005, University of Leeds, Leeds, England.

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Wiffen, C (2004) Singing a borrowed song: appropriation and authority in changing media. In: Music and its Media Conference, Harvard University.

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Wiffen, C (2004) Composing at the coal face: music's role in the erosion of social idealism in the documentary films of the GPO Film Unit. In: Royal Musical Association 40th Annual Conference, 12 November - 14 November 2004, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, England.

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Wiffen, C (2004) Capturing life and selling the mix: the simulation of live performance in the music video. In: Representing Performance: Musical Recordings in Culture, 30 October 2004, Royal Holloway, University of London, London, UK.

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Wiffen, C (2003) A pianist's Bach book. In: Grove Forum, 2003, Royal College of Music, South Kensington, London, England.

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Wiffen, C (2000) Interpreting Gershwin: Grainger, Wild, Finnissy and himself. In: Performance 2000, 26 April - 29 April 2000, University of Southampton, Southampton, England.

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Wiffen, C (2000) "Anarchic glee" : issues of virtuosity and operal identity in Glenn Gould's transcription of the Prelude from Die Meistersinger. In: 34th Royal Musical Association Research Students' Conference, 13 - 16 December 2000, University of Exeter, UK.

performance

Wiffen, C (2011) World premiere of new work by Jim Aitchison. The Barbican Centre, London, UK, 15 June 2011.

performance

Wiffen, C (2008) World premiere of John Woolrich's Dramolet. In: Stratford-upon-Avon Festival: The Contemporary Consort, Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire, England, 13 October 2008.

image

Wiffen, C (2003) The Chamber Music of Judith Weir.

audio

Wiffen, C (2009) Hugh Wood: Chamber Music.