Emma Margetson

Dr Emma Margetson BMus, MA, PGCert HE, FHEA, PhD

Lecturer in Sound Design and Research Fellow (Audiovisual Space: Recontextualising Sound-Image Media)

Key details

Dr Emma Margetson

Lecturer in Sound Design and Research Fellow (Audiovisual Space: Recontextualising Sound-Image Media)


Emma Margetson (1993) is an acousmatic composer and sound artist with extensive experience in multichannel composition, sound diffusion and interpretation. She has received a variety of awards and special mentions for her work including, first prize in the prestigious L'Espace du Son International Spatialisation Competition by INFLUX (Musiques & Recherches), klingt gut! Young Artist Award in 2018 and Ars Electronica Forum Wallis 2019.

Emma’s compositional work is focused on developing novel compositional approaches that are actively geared towards increasing engagement with acousmatic/electroacoustic composition in order to reach wider audiences, in particular disadvantaged segments of the community, and younger people. Having recently completed a PhD in Musical Composition funded by the AHRC Midlands3Cities Doctoral Training Partnership titled ‘Sonic Immersion: Reaching New Audiences through Sound’, Emma has collaborated with a variety of organisations including the IKON gallery, Research & Cultural Collections at the University of Birmingham and The Barber Institute of Fine Arts.

Her works have been performed and exhibited internationally, including at Ars Electronica Forum Wallis (CH), University of Birmingham (UK), The Barber Institute of Fine Arts (UK), 5to Festival de Música Electroacústica (CL), BEAST FEaST (UK), SEAMUS (USA), CEMI circles (USA), EMAS (UK), Festival Ecos Urbanos (MEX), BULO (UK), RMA (UK), SPECTRA (CO), NYCEMF (USA), Birmingham Hippodrome (UK), Audior Acusmonium (ITL), Sound-Image Colloquium (UK), Delian Academy of New Music (GD), Noisefloor Festival (UK), [ ex_nihilo ] (MEX), MAtera INtermedia (ITL), Sound Junction (UK), Musica Electronic Nova (PL) and Electric Spring (UK).

She has compositions released with labels Urban Arts Belin, Sonos Localia and Obs.

Responsibilities within the university

  • Senior Lecturer in Music and Sound
  • Programme Leader MA Music & Sound Design
  • Co-Director of Loudspeaker Orchestra Concert Series

Awards

  • Special mention in the Concours biennal de composition acousmatique Métamorphoses 2020 (2020)
  • 1st Prize in the L’espace du son 2019 international spatialisation competition by Influx (Musiques & Recherches) (2019)
  • Distorted Illusions selected for Ars Electronica Forum Wallis (2019)
  • Cultural Engagement Award 2019 by Midlands3Cities Doctoral Training Partnership (2019)
  • Young Artist Award 2018 (1st Prize) by klingt gut! (2018)
  • COMPASS Prize by the Department of Music, University of Birmingham (2014)

Recognition

Featured in 2019 in The British Music Collection’s #AComposeraDay series, which showcased the profiles of 31 composers and their unique contributions to composition in the UK.

Research / Scholarly interests

  • Acousmatic composition
  • Sound Art
  • Immersion and 3D Audio
  • Sound diffusion and spatialisation practices
  • Site specific works, sound walks and installations
  • Audience development and engagement
  • Community music practice