Emma Margetson is an acousmatic composer and sound artist working and living between London and Birmingham (England, UK). Her output encompasses acousmatic composition, sound art, acousmatic performance interpretation and, occasionally, live electronic music improvisation. Her research interests include sound diffusion and spatialisation practices; site-specific works, sound walks and installations; audience development and engagement; and community music practice.
She studied at the University of Birmingham (England, UK) with Annie Mahtani and Scott Wilson for master’s and doctoral degrees in electroacoustic composition. The latter was funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC)-funded Midlands3Cities Doctoral Training Partnership (M3C) and was completed in 2021.
Her music has been recognised and performed extensively in concerts and festivals internationally, and has been the recipient of a special mention in the Biennial Acousmatic Composition Competition Métamorphoses (Belgium, 2020), the Excellence in Sound Art & Sound Design Prize in the klingt gut! Young Artist Award (Germany, 2018), and a First prize ex æquo in the Space of Sound Spatialization Performance Competition (Belgium, 2019). She has received a number of commissions and collaborations including those from Royal Observatory (Royal Museums Greenwich), The Barber Institute of Fine Arts, and the Ikon Gallery.
Emma Margetson is a Senior Lecturer in Music and Sound and Programme Leader of the Master of Arts Music and Sound Design course at the University of Greenwich (England, UK). She is also Co-Director of the Loudspeaker Orchestra Concert Series.
Her work is available on several recording labels, including empreintes DIGITALes, Obs, Sonos Localia, and Urban Arts Berlin.
Awards. mentions.
2020: Abstracted Objects received a special mention in the Concours biennal de composition acousmatique Métamorphoses 2020
2019: Awarded first 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
2018: Cultural Engagement Award 2019 by Midlands3Cities Doctoral Training Partnership
2018: Water Waves awarded the Young Artist Award 2018 (First Prize) by klingt gut!
2014: Presence-Absence awarded the COMPASS Prize by the Department of Music, University of Birmingham
Teaching. masterclasses.
Senior Lecturer in Music and Sound at the University of Greenwich (2023 – current)
Lecturer in Sound Design Lecturer in Sound Design at the University of Greenwich (2021 – 2023)
Research Fellow (Audiovisual Space: Recontextualising Sound-Image Media) at the University of Greenwich (2021 – 2023)
Visiting Lecturer at the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire (2020 – 2023)
Postgraduate Teaching Associate at the University of Birmingham (2016 – 2020)
Education.
PhD Electroacoustic Composition University of Birmingham
MA Music: Electroacoustic / Sonic Art University of Birmingham (Distinction)
BMus Music (hons.) University of Birmingham (First)
PGCert HE, FHEA
Research 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