The language of symmetry in music
Associate Professor Robert Quinney has contributed to the book The Language of Symmetry, published in May 2023. The book is a re-assessment of the structure and reach of symmetry, by an interdisciplinary group of specialists from the arts, humanities, and sciences at Oxford University. Professor Quinney's chapter explores symmetrical structures in western classical music.
Robert Quinney was born in Nottingham, UK, and began his musical life as a chorister, initially in Dundee Cathedral Choir. He began playing the organ at the age of ten, and was subsequently Organ Scholar at King's College, Cambridge, where he completed his undergraduate and graduate studies. A performing career took him to London, working first at Westminster Cathedral and for nine years as Sub-Organist at Westminster Abbey, during which time he performed at several national and international events. After a short period as director of music at Peterborough Cathedral he moved to Oxford in 2014. He directs the world-famous Choir of New College, Oxford, where he is also a Tutorial Fellow in Music. In the faculty of music he gives lectures for the Techniques of Composition and Choral Performance papers, and has taught history topic on the keyboard music of J. S. Bach. Alongside his work at Oxford he maintains a busy schedule as a solo organist, and makes frequent appearances as a guest conductor, notably with the BBC Singers. He is also Director of the Edington Festival of Music within the Liturgy.
For more information about The Language of Symmetry, please visit the the Routledge website.
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