ACADEMIC
Simone Spagnolo is Senior Lecturer and Head of Composition at the London College of Music, University of West London, where he leads the BMus and MMus provision for composition.
Previously, he was Senior Lecturer and Course Leader in Performing Arts at Anglia Ruskin University, Cambridge (2015/18), and Lecturer in Music Theatre at the University of Cumbria (2014/15).
Having gained a Masters and Ph.D. in Composition at Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance, London, he has guest-lectured at institutions such as the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama, Trinity Laban Conservatoire, University of York , Middlesex University, and The Purcell School.
His scholarly writings have been published on Studies in Musical Theatre Journal, Studies in Theatre and Performance, and the Institute of Composing Journal, among others. His academic work principally focuses on applied composition, interdisciplinarity, musico-theatrical interactions, and narrative junctions between musical and textual, dramatic forms.
He is in demand as a PhD supervisor, and he regularly joins assessment panels for M.Phil./Ph.D. vivas and upgrades.
Simone is currently serving as External Examiner for Anglia Ruskin University's BA (Hons) Music Performance, and has contributed as examiner to Quality and Qualifications Ireland.
As part of his academic work, Simone has developed extensive experience in curriculum design at both undergraduate and postgraduate level, and has led course validation processes in several occasions.
Publications
Simone Spagnolo (2024) 'Una Finestra sul Mondo. Da Folk Songs di Berio al giardino del Gran Kan', in Darshanim Vol. IV, dir. Margherita Anselmi, ed. Pier Alberto Porceddu Cilione, Mimesis / TETRAGRAMMA.
Simone Spagnolo (2019) 'Interdisciplinarity in the performing arts: contemporary perspectives', Studies in Theatre and Performance (Taylor and Frances), Vol. 39, Issue 1, pp.1-2.
Simone Spagnolo, Polymath (score), in 'The Ruskin Songbook: Twenty-Fifth Anniversary Commemorative Edition', ed. Paul Jackson and Jane Boyer, (Cambridge: Ruskin Arts, 2018).
Simone Spagnolo, Touch-less: Wearable Music and the Score Theatre, in Studies in Musical Theatre Journal, Special Issue (Intellect Books), ed. David Roesner, Volume 11, Number 2, June 2017, pp. 147-164.
Simone Spagnolo, Unsaid by the Mouth, but Spoken by the Drums, Institute of Composing Journal, 9th Issue.
Alessandra Totoli, Vocalisations with Movement (Vocalizzi con Movimento), English-Italian bilingual trans. Simone Spagnolo (Salerno: Edizioni Casa Musicale Cav. Quinto Fabio, 2015).
Simone Spagnolo, Each Tale Chases Another. Metaphorical Representations, Non-Linearity and Openness of Narrative Structure in Italian Opera from Post-WWII to It Makes No Difference, Ph.D. thesis (Trinity Laban Conservatoire, Jerwood Library, City University London: 2014).
Graham Johnson and Simone Spagnolo, ‘Musical Saw’, in The New Grove Dictionary of Musical Instruments, ed. Laurence Libin (New York: Oxford University Press, 2013).
I Dreamt a Theatre, Another Theatre. Non-Linearity of Narrative Structure in Italian Post-WWII Experimental Opera, (under review).
Conference Papers
‘Unconscious Rhythms and Absent Pulses', Rhythm Symposium
London College of Music, University of West London, 3 February 2022
‘Delirious Marks', Assessment Symposium
Anglia Ruskin University, Cambridge, 12 May 2018
‘Teatro Polidittico: Classics-inspired Contemporary Italian Opera and the Concept of Openness’, Italy and the Classics.
APGRD, University of Oxford, 10 Jun 2016
> READ ARTICLE
> VISIT APGRD SITE & PROGRAMME
‘The Colour Blue. A Musico-Theatrical Metonymy’, SongArt Symposium (Institute of Musical Research).
Royal Central School of Speech and Drama, London, 27 Jun 2015
‘Touch-less: Wearable Graphic Scores for Acting Singer’, SongArt Symposium (Institute of Musical Research).
Royal Central School of Speech and Drama, London, 26 Jun 2015
> VISIT RCSSD SITE & PROGRAMME
‘Italian Experimental Post-WWII Opera as a Means to Reflect on the Concept of Openness to a Plurality of Interpretations’, CUK Research Forum.
Royal College of Music, London, 23 May 2015
'Opera Aperta: Non-linearity of Narrative Structure in Italian Experimental Opera’, OBERTO Opera Research Conference.
Oxford Brookes University, Oxford, 17 June 2014
Scores
Music scores published on Universal Edition, Vienna. All scores can be found here.
D’Hubert et Feraud, UES 104 602-000 Partitur (2009)
Even you, lights, cannot hear me, UES 103 518-000 Partitur (2014)
Gimnopedia Rapsodica, UES 103 764-000 Partitur (2021)
Low Strings Drama, UES 105 056-000 Partitur (2023)
Le Tavole del Peccato, UES 103 791-262 Partitur (2013)
Non ho dormito in questa notte mai, UES 103 515-000 Partitur (2016)
Ritrovare. Ricercare, UES 104 594-110 Partitur (2007 / 2020)
Silenzio, UES 106 777-701 (2012)
Three Folk Songs after Berio, UES 105 057-000 Partitur (2023)
Other Knowledge Exchange
-Composers Workshop Series (curator): London College of Music (Sep 2019-ongoing)
-Touch-less, Graphic Score-Prop (exhibition): Royal Court Theatre, London (Jun 2015)
-It makes no difference, Graphic Score Exhibition (curator): University of Cumbria (Apr 2015)
-It makes no difference, Graphic Score Exhibition (curator): St.Margaret House, London (Jul 2014)
It Makes No Difference Series: Talks on Contemporary Italian Opera and the Concept of Openness:
- Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance, London, 25 March 2014
- Royal Central School of Speech and Drama, London, 29 April 2014
- Italian Cultural Institute, London, 18 June 2014
- University of York, 25 June 2014