Peter Nelson is Emeritus Professor of Music and Technology and is a composer and theorist. His compositional output includes chamber, choral, orchestral, and electronic music, with commissions from many leading performers and ensembles including the BBC, Radio France, the Edinburgh International Festival, the Scottish Chamber Orchestra, the Edinburgh Quartet, and the Dunedin Consort. He was editor of the journal Contemporary Music Review from 1994-2022.
Research interests
• the social aspects of rhythm
• the work of the composer Iannis Xenakis
Recent publications
Nelson, Peter. 2020. “What is Sound?” In Anastasia Georgaki and George Kosteletos (Eds.) From Digital Echos To Virtual Ethos: Critical Issues On Music Technology In Contemporary Music. Athens: Nkua Press.
Nelson, Peter. 2020. “Speech Acts and Music Acts – intentionality in language and music.” Rivista Italiana di Filosofia del Linguaggio, 14(1): 130-142 doi: 10.4396/2020112.
Campbell, Iain and Peter Nelson. 2022 (forthcoming). “Rhythm and Signification: Temporalities of Musical and Social Meaning.” Angelaki 27 (5).
Nelson, Peter. 2022 (forthcoming). “Music and the Illusions of Form.” In Rachael Durkin, Peter Dayan, Axel Englund and Katharina Clausius (Eds.) Routledge Companion to Music and Modern Literature. London: Routledge.
Forthcoming invited talks
"The voice of the UPIC." Xenakis 2022: Back to the Roots, University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna, 19–21 May 2022.
"What’s the use of music?" Xenakis 22: Centenary International Symposium.
Athens & Nafplio (Greece), 24-29 May 2022.