Aurora Ziying Wang
DPhil in Music (Musicology)
Area of proposed thesis
My DPhil research explores the transmission and reception of George Frideric Handel’s music in China, with a particular focus on his oratorio Messiah. It investigates the work’s circulation, performance history and historical significance within the changing cultural and musical landscape of modern China. The project also examines the influence of Western sacred vocal traditions on the development of sacred music, choral composition and the oratorio tradition in China. Drawing on archival sources and China’s historical experience, the project seeks to offer new perspectives on the global dissemination and local reception of Western classical music, contributing to broader discussions in historical musicology and cross-cultural music studies.
Research interests
Opera and Oratorio; Sacred Music; Performing Arts; Musical Aesthetics; Music and Gender; Music and Politics; Sino-Western Musical Exchange; Reception History
Degrees
BA Music Performance (Xi’an Conservatory of Music), MA Music (Durham), MMus (KCL)