Professor Andrew Kirkman BA, MMus, PhD

At Birmingham I teach courses in music in the Renaissance, music in the 1960s and other topics. I am also director of the Centre for Early Music Performance and Research and in that capacity direct the University Chamber Orchestra, a forum for learning period instrument and vocal styles, coached by specialists in the field.

I have supervised PhD topics as diverse as 'Music in Post-Communist Poland' and 'The iPad', but am particularly happy to supervise students wishing to study topics in late medieval and renaissance music, in terms of repertory, cultural practice and historiography.

Find out more - our Music postgraduate study  page has information about doctoral research at the University of Birmingham.

I have published and lectured on various aspects of fifteenth- and early sixteenth-century music. My earlier publications looked principally at issues of style and influence. More recently I have been more concerned with the historiography and cultural context of music for the Mass from the fourteenth to the early sixteenth century, an interest that resulted in my book The Cultural Life of the Early Polyphonic Mass (CUP, 2010). I am currently writing up my latest monograph, on music and culture in the late-medieval collegiate church of St Omer, Saint-Omer, Northern France. Other recent publications include an anthology of essays, Contemplating Shostakovich: Life, Music and Film, edited jointly with Alexander Ivashkin. 

I combine my scholarly work with that of a performer and have directed a wide range of ensembles, including choirs, orchestras and various period-instrument ensembles. I founded The Binchois Consort in 1995 since when it has made ten recordings, all on the Hyperion label. Our recordings and performances, of music by Du Fay, Binchois, Josquin, Busnoys and others, have received universally strong critical acclaim and many music industry prizes, including Gramophone ‘Early Music Recording of the Year’ for its recording ‘Music for St James the Greater by Guillaume Du Fay.’ Our latest CD, 'Music for the Hundred Years' War', is scheduled for release on March 31st. I have also had a busy career as a freelance violinist, and, with pianist Clipper Erickson, recently released a recording of world premiere performances of violin sonatas by Cyril Scott.