Brian Bridges

Brian Bridges is a graduate of Trinity College Dublin (MPhil in Music and Media Technologies) and National University of Ireland, Maynooth (BA in English and Music; PhD in Music) and is a composer/sonic artist, electronic musician and researcher. He studied in Ireland with composers Donnacha Dennehy, Roger Doyle and Jürgen Simpson (TCD) and Victor Lazzarini (Maynooth), in addition to private studies in the US with Glenn Branca and Tony Conrad. He is a founder–member of the Dublin–based Spatial Music Collective and his compositions have been programmed at festivals in Europe, the Americas and China. He has received support and commissions from arts organisations including the Arts Council of Ireland, Culture Ireland, the Contemporary Music Centre and Resonance FM.

Research Interests

Much of Brian’s work is inspired by connections between perceptual processes, creative practices and technologies. His creative work includes sound–based installations, audiovisual pieces and electroacoustic and acoustic composition, including microtonal and spatial music. Other interests include the application of embodied models to musical practices and the design of performance systems and interfaces, and modes of interdisciplinary practices encompassing arts/humanities and STEM (Hearts of STEM project, 2016–present; Oscillations and Modulations festival, 2018). Brian is interested in hearing from potential collaborators or PhD students with project ideas related to the topics above.

Brian is currently Ulster's Research Director (REF Unit Coordinator, Postgraduate Research Degree Tutor) for Music, Drama, Performing Arts and Film and Screen Studies.

PhD supervision

(all PhDs DEL/DfE or VCRS Scholarship)

Current: 

co-supervised with Prof. F. Lyons:

Lewis Smith (due for completion, 2021/2): Inclusive software design enabling disabled and non-disabled musicians to compose and perform music in an immersive virtual environment

Matthew Jacobson (due for completion 2020): Exploring improvisational approaches to small-scale compositions inspired by New York’s ‘Downtown’ music scene

Completed: 

co-supervised with Dr Liz Doherty: 

Aidan O'Donnel (completed 2020): Tuning In: Practices in tuning and pitch related inflections in the Donegal fiddle sound community.

co-supervised with Prof. F. Lyons:

Mike Nielsen (completed 2017): Improvising a System: Microtonal Practices on a Self-Designed Customised Guitar; Lecturer in Jazz, Dublin Institute of Technology Conservatory of Music

John King (completed 2015), Topic: Rhythmic Interaction Design for Electronic Music: multitouch technologies, affordances, embodied image schemas and performance practice; Lecturer in Music Technology and Production at Dundalk Institute of Technology (2015–16);  Developer and R&D at Sensum Ltd, Belfast (2016–17).

Brendan McCloskey (completed 2014), Topic: Accessible, Inclusive Design of Digital Musical Instrument (DMI)/Performance Systems for Musicians with Cerebral Palsy. Awards:shortlisted for the OHMI/Ars Electronica Prize 2013 and semi–finalist in Georgia Tech 2014 Margaret Guthman Prize.

Ricky Graham (completed 2012), Topic: The Expansion of Electronic Guitar Performance through the Development of Interactive Digital Music Systems; Assistant Professor of Music and Technology, Stevens Institute of Technology, NJ, USA (2012–2017); currently founder and CEO at Delta Sound Labs, USA