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Milton Mermikides

Associate Professor in Music, MMus Programme Director and Deputy Director of the International Guitar Research Centre, University of Surrey

Milton Mermikides is a composer, guitarist and educator in a wide range of musical styles and collaborates with artists and scientists as diverse as Tim Minchin, Evelyn Glennie, Pat Martino, John Williams, Tod Machover, Professor Sophie Scott, Professor Morten Kringelbach, The Swingle Singers, Steve Winwood, Peter Zinovieff and Brian Eno. Son of a CERN nuclear physicist, he was raised with an enthusiasm for both the arts and sciences, an eclecticism which has been maintained throughout his teaching, research and creative career. He is a graduate of the London School of Economics (BSc), Berklee College of Music (BMus) and the University of Surrey (PhD). He has lectured, exhibited and given keynote presentations at the Royal Academy of Music, TEDX, Royal Musical Association, European Sleep Research Society, British Sleep Society, St. Bart’s Hospital, The British Library, Royal Physiological Society, Royal Society of Medicine, British Psychological Society, Hong Kong Academy of the Performing Arts, The Design Museum, Smithsonian Institute, Glastonbury Festival, Charterhouse School, The Science Museum, Manchester Science Festival, Aldeburgh Music, Ableton’s Loop Conference (2017 Berlin and upcoming 2020) and his work has been featured in the Times Higher Education, Oxford Handbook of Computer Music, BBC Radio 4 Midweek, New Scientist, BBC Radio 3 Music Matters and BBC Radio 4 Inside Science. His music and writing are published by Viribus, Deutsche Grammaphon, Mute, Extreme, Cambridge University Press and Oxford University Press, and he has won awards and commendations for writing, teaching, research and his charity work. Milton is Associate Professor in Music at the University of Surrey, Professor of Jazz Guitar at the Royal College of Music, Deputy Director of the International Guitar Research Centre, a Governor of Addison Primary School, and lives in London with his wife, the guitarist Bridget Mermikides and his daughter Chloe.

Research interests

•Data sonification and Data-based composition
•Guitar research
•Technology at the intersection of composition, pedagogy, improvisation, analysis and performance.
•Time-feel (micro- and macro- rhythmic expression)
•Composition analysis, modelling and broad practice (from acoustic, electronic to generative)
•Music notations and illustrations

Experience

  • –present
    Reader in Music, MMus Programme Director and Deputy Director of the International Guitar Research Centre, University of Surrey