Neil Heyde appointed as visiting professor at Uniarts Helsinki’s Sibelius Academy
Professor Neil Heyde has been appointed as visiting professor at the Sibelius Academy of Uniarts Helsinki from 1 January 2021 to 31 December 2022. Heyde is the head of the postgraduate programmes at the Royal Academy of Music and a professor of music at the University of London. He is also a cellist, and he has played as a member of the Kreutzer quartet since the 1990s, among other ensembles. At the Sibelius Academy, Heyde’s responsibilities will include teaching and taking part in the development of artistic research and doctoral education.
As a researcher, Heyde is interested in the ways that musicians communicate with each other and in the relationship that a musician has with their instrument. He has served as a member of the REF (Research Excellence Framework) expert panel in music, dance, drama and performing arts in the UK and given lectures in major conferences and events around the world on his own research practices and ways to develop practice-driven research. Under his leadership, RAM has developed a distinctive practice-driven research culture at both master’s and doctoral levels.
As a visiting professor, Heyde’s duties will include leading workshops in artistic research for bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral students and holding lectures on performance as a research method. He will supervise doctoral students and contribute to the planning of research projects and the development of the Sibelius Academy’s artistic doctoral education and DocMus Doctoral School. The aim is also for Heyde to plan and develop the cooperation between the English Royal Academy of Music and Sibelius Academy as well the exchange opportunities that they offer for teachers and students. Deepening the close cooperation between the Sibelius Academy and RAM will be one of his main roles.
The post of visiting professor is part of the international visitor programme, which was launched at the Sibelius Academy in 2019. The programme complements the studies offered by the Sibelius Academy by inviting artists who represent the highest talent level of their respective fields to come and teach in Finland. They will work alongside students and teachers at the Sibelius Academy periodically, usually in periods of one year or two years at a time. The programme has been established with financial support from the Jane and Aatos Erkko Foundation and the Jenny and Antti Wihuri Foundation.
Further information
Sibelius Academy Vice Dean Markus Utrio
markus.utrio@uniarts.fi