Michael Hooper
@drmichaelhooper.bsky.social
Music academic in Sydney: mostly an historian of music since about 1960; also interested in performance, composition, instruments. Have written much about Australian Music. Late modernism.
Chris Walton’s snide remark about Brahms and ‘telepathic sperm’ has made my morning.
Such a great book.
boydellandbrewer.com/book/music-a...
Such a great book.
boydellandbrewer.com/book/music-a...
Music and Desire among the Austro-German Romantics
Investigates the composition and reception of works by key Romantics such as Beethoven, Schubert, Brahms, Wagner and the Schumanns with attention to the role of sexual desire in the composers' lives a...
boydellandbrewer.com
April 28, 2026 at 11:29 PM
Chris Walton’s snide remark about Brahms and ‘telepathic sperm’ has made my morning.
Such a great book.
boydellandbrewer.com/book/music-a...
Such a great book.
boydellandbrewer.com/book/music-a...
Day 4 after shoulder surgery. I’m so bored.
March 22, 2026 at 10:17 AM
Day 4 after shoulder surgery. I’m so bored.
Something very satisfying about generating power. New maximum for a day today.
November 5, 2025 at 11:59 AM
Something very satisfying about generating power. New maximum for a day today.
New Book edited by Sarah Kirby that looks very interesting.
link.springer.com/book/10.1007...
link.springer.com/book/10.1007...
Music, New Media and the Archive
This book explores the representation of music and new media in the archive as well as interrogates 20th and 21st-century musical engagements.
link.springer.com
November 5, 2025 at 1:36 AM
New Book edited by Sarah Kirby that looks very interesting.
link.springer.com/book/10.1007...
link.springer.com/book/10.1007...
Where do all the children violins go? Seems like there should be a sea of 1/8and 1/4 size violins available second hand, but how to find them?
November 2, 2025 at 8:12 PM
Where do all the children violins go? Seems like there should be a sea of 1/8and 1/4 size violins available second hand, but how to find them?
Adam Pinto and Christopher Tonkin, 'Smalley’s Magic Piano: Reconstructing Transformation,' new in Musicology Australia.
www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....
www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....
Smalley’s Magic Piano: Reconstructing Transformation
Roger Smalley’s Transformation was composed during a period of prolific output, intense creative development, and extensive international touring—one ending with the composer’s 1976 immigration to ...
www.tandfonline.com
October 31, 2025 at 9:23 AM
Adam Pinto and Christopher Tonkin, 'Smalley’s Magic Piano: Reconstructing Transformation,' new in Musicology Australia.
www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....
www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....
CFP: Music and Risk Symposium
27th November, 2025
Convened by Dr. Ellen Hooper (UNSW), A/Prof. Chris Stover (Griffith University), A/Prof. Michael Hooper (UNSW)
forms.gle/E5mTcyAPqrV6...
27th November, 2025
Convened by Dr. Ellen Hooper (UNSW), A/Prof. Chris Stover (Griffith University), A/Prof. Michael Hooper (UNSW)
forms.gle/E5mTcyAPqrV6...
October 31, 2025 at 3:03 AM
CFP: Music and Risk Symposium
27th November, 2025
Convened by Dr. Ellen Hooper (UNSW), A/Prof. Chris Stover (Griffith University), A/Prof. Michael Hooper (UNSW)
forms.gle/E5mTcyAPqrV6...
27th November, 2025
Convened by Dr. Ellen Hooper (UNSW), A/Prof. Chris Stover (Griffith University), A/Prof. Michael Hooper (UNSW)
forms.gle/E5mTcyAPqrV6...
New article by me:
'Notation Is Not All That It Appears to Be: Roger Smalley on Changing Musical Relationships,' Musicology Australia.
www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....
#musicology #openaccess #academicsky #performance #musicnotation #prose #composition
'Notation Is Not All That It Appears to Be: Roger Smalley on Changing Musical Relationships,' Musicology Australia.
www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....
#musicology #openaccess #academicsky #performance #musicnotation #prose #composition
Notation Is Not All That It Appears to Be: Roger Smalley on Changing Musical Relationships
This article considers Roger Smalley’s conception of notation from the point of view of the relationship between playing and writing. It argues that notation was one of the ways in which Smalley un...
www.tandfonline.com
October 31, 2025 at 2:35 AM
New article by me:
'Notation Is Not All That It Appears to Be: Roger Smalley on Changing Musical Relationships,' Musicology Australia.
www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....
#musicology #openaccess #academicsky #performance #musicnotation #prose #composition
'Notation Is Not All That It Appears to Be: Roger Smalley on Changing Musical Relationships,' Musicology Australia.
www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....
#musicology #openaccess #academicsky #performance #musicnotation #prose #composition
I see the Sydney Conservatorium of Music is expanding with a new campus in Parramatta. UNSW is still the place to be for dual degrees that include music: it's not possible to run a dual degree across campuses and to have good student experience.
October 31, 2025 at 12:21 AM
I see the Sydney Conservatorium of Music is expanding with a new campus in Parramatta. UNSW is still the place to be for dual degrees that include music: it's not possible to run a dual degree across campuses and to have good student experience.
One of the aspects of academic life I like least is that there are so few people to talk to. So many days go by where I sit at a desk alone or walk around campus and there is no one to speak to.
October 15, 2025 at 11:31 PM
One of the aspects of academic life I like least is that there are so few people to talk to. So many days go by where I sit at a desk alone or walk around campus and there is no one to speak to.
Reposted by Michael Hooper
Inspired by two great instruments, a wonderful space, two great composers, and a great friend - with Nicola LeFanu, Daniel Parker (x2), Mozart, and Morgan Goff at the end of an amazing day at the 12th century church of St Mary Iffley. Photos thanks to Malene Sheppard Skaerved & Gerald Garcia
September 30, 2025 at 7:53 AM
Inspired by two great instruments, a wonderful space, two great composers, and a great friend - with Nicola LeFanu, Daniel Parker (x2), Mozart, and Morgan Goff at the end of an amazing day at the 12th century church of St Mary Iffley. Photos thanks to Malene Sheppard Skaerved & Gerald Garcia
‘If the ghost is the living-dead or the half-dead person, the baby is a dead-living or a half-alive person.’ Thoroughly enjoying Agamben’s Infancy and History.
September 23, 2025 at 9:53 PM
‘If the ghost is the living-dead or the half-dead person, the baby is a dead-living or a half-alive person.’ Thoroughly enjoying Agamben’s Infancy and History.
Reposted by Michael Hooper
my mom took tylenol when she was pregnant, which made me super focused on menswear and now i have a million followers on twitter
September 22, 2025 at 11:10 PM
my mom took tylenol when she was pregnant, which made me super focused on menswear and now i have a million followers on twitter
Reposted by Michael Hooper
Congratulations to our Dent medallist Prof. Sarah Collins! Sarah gave a brilliant keynote lecture yesterday, titled 'Habits of Realism'.
Sarah was presented the Dent medal by the RMA President Simon Keefe.
Sarah was presented the Dent medal by the RMA President Simon Keefe.
September 12, 2025 at 7:37 AM
Congratulations to our Dent medallist Prof. Sarah Collins! Sarah gave a brilliant keynote lecture yesterday, titled 'Habits of Realism'.
Sarah was presented the Dent medal by the RMA President Simon Keefe.
Sarah was presented the Dent medal by the RMA President Simon Keefe.
Current train reading.
September 11, 2025 at 10:59 PM
Current train reading.
Going to an event that includes drinks and ‘canopés’, which I guess are tasty preserved organs that will be served in cute little jars?
September 4, 2025 at 11:34 PM
Going to an event that includes drinks and ‘canopés’, which I guess are tasty preserved organs that will be served in cute little jars?
Reposted by Michael Hooper
Denials everywhere but no explanation.
www.theguardian.com/books/2025/s...
www.theguardian.com/books/2025/s...
Decision to close Meanjin criticised as act of ‘utter cultural vandalism’
Shutting long-running literary journal, which published emerging writers as well as the cream of Australia’s literary talent, described as ‘enormous loss’
www.theguardian.com
September 4, 2025 at 10:45 PM
Denials everywhere but no explanation.
www.theguardian.com/books/2025/s...
www.theguardian.com/books/2025/s...
Reposted by Michael Hooper
After the glorious afternoon working on Nicola Lefanu's wonderful new Duo, which Morgan Goff and I premiere in Oxford next month, here is the solo piece she wrote me based on a Grinling Gibbons sculpture www.youtube.com/watch?v=qy3-...
Nicola LeFanu - Prelude after Grinling Gibbons
YouTube video by Peter Sheppard Skaerved
www.youtube.com
August 26, 2025 at 10:18 PM
After the glorious afternoon working on Nicola Lefanu's wonderful new Duo, which Morgan Goff and I premiere in Oxford next month, here is the solo piece she wrote me based on a Grinling Gibbons sculpture www.youtube.com/watch?v=qy3-...
Reposted by Michael Hooper
UTS academics describe ‘culture of fear’ as enrolments put on hold for nearly a fifth of courses
UTS academics describe ‘culture of fear’ as enrolments put on hold for nearly a fifth of courses
The freeze comes as the university pursues $100m in cost cuts and after it announced in April it could axe 400 jobs
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Academics at the University of Technology Sydney have described feelings of stress and a “culture of fear” after the educational institution temporarily paused student enrolments for nearly a fifth of its courses, leaving staff wondering if their jobs will be among the hundreds set to be axed.
The university has stopped taking in new students for 120 of its 615 courses, including masters degrees in teaching primary and secondary education. More than 50 of the affected courses were international study options attached to other degrees. The pause will last until the end of the autumn 2026 semester. Continue reading...
www.theguardian.com
August 15, 2025 at 3:03 PM
UTS academics describe ‘culture of fear’ as enrolments put on hold for nearly a fifth of courses
Doing some work on philosophies of Art and Freud, and I finally found the chapter that looked good from the abstract. Turns out that the capitalisation of ART is not because it's very definitely about high ART and not everyday art, but because it's actually about Assisted Reproductive Technology. 🤨
August 14, 2025 at 11:01 PM
Doing some work on philosophies of Art and Freud, and I finally found the chapter that looked good from the abstract. Turns out that the capitalisation of ART is not because it's very definitely about high ART and not everyday art, but because it's actually about Assisted Reproductive Technology. 🤨
Finishing the reading I started in 1999. (I forgot I didn’t finish it.)
August 8, 2025 at 10:45 PM
Finishing the reading I started in 1999. (I forgot I didn’t finish it.)
Teaching done for the term. This term I was teaching critical musical practices and a course on live performance. Very good work by students and a lot of interesting ideas. Now for the marking.
August 8, 2025 at 4:18 AM
Teaching done for the term. This term I was teaching critical musical practices and a course on live performance. Very good work by students and a lot of interesting ideas. Now for the marking.
Reposted by Michael Hooper
You better not be wearing the isolator when I get there
Me:
Me:
August 5, 2025 at 10:38 AM
You better not be wearing the isolator when I get there
Me:
Me:
Reposted by Michael Hooper
On the overnight practice-desk; Nicola leFanu's wonderful new meditation on a Norman church near Oxford, where Morgan Goff and I will premiere it next month - do come www.ticketsource.com/whats-on/oxf...
August 4, 2025 at 11:36 AM
On the overnight practice-desk; Nicola leFanu's wonderful new meditation on a Norman church near Oxford, where Morgan Goff and I will premiere it next month - do come www.ticketsource.com/whats-on/oxf...