Research at MTU Cork School of Music

 

MTU Cork School of Music (CSM) is a vibrant and internationally recognised centre for research excellence across diverse areas and specialisms including pedagogy, musicology, technology and performance. As an integral part of the Munster Technological University's large South-West campus in Cork and Kerry, it collaborates across interdisciplinary boundaries with the Crawford College of Art & Design, the Nimbus Centre along with many more national and international institutions. Technology such as AudioSourceRE, developed in conjunction with CSM has succesfully transferred to industry with support from MTU. The school is fully committed to MTU's Strategic Plan: Our Shared Vision to 2027, and offers a number of postgraduate degrees related to research at Master's and PhD level. Staff and students have received grants from SFI Ireland, the Arts Council of Ireland and Erasmus+ to participate in impactful projects and disseminate their findings at leading conferences and symposiums internationally. 

As a centre for creative practice, CSM presents more than 450 performances and events every year and is an important cultural hub for Cork City, as well as a creative home for students and staff. It is fortunate to experience the richness of the arts daily and strives to engage with local, national, and international communities through performance, education, and outreach. The school boasts many award-winning performing groups, which contribute to the vibrant cultural life of Cork City and to the international arts scene. CSM currently has 6 orchestras, 3 wind bands/ensembles, 3 jazz bands, 5 choirs, 2 drama groups, an opera platform ensemble, popular music ensembles and an Irish Traditional Music Ensemble. It is a long-standing and active member of both the Association of European Conservatoires (AEC) and the European League of Institutes of the Arts (ELIA). The School has also been very involved with Polifonia, the Erasmus Thematic Network for Music – particularly by being one of the first 10 institutions to found the Innovative Conservatoire Network (ICON).

If you have a research idea for MA or PhD and are interested in finding out more, please email researchcsm@mtu.ie

Research Areas

 

Pedagogy	Musicology
Technology	Inclusivity

Research Outputs & Impact

While not exhaustive, this summary of some of our research activities provides an indication of our research participation and contributions during the period of 2020 - 2022.

Conference Papers & Presentations	28
Journal Articles & Book Chapters	6
Recordings	10
Practice-Based Performances & Exhibitions	56
Total	100

 

Postgraduate Programmes

• Masters in Music & Technology (MA/MSc)
• MA by Research
• MA by Composition
• PhD by Research
• PhD by Composition

Selected Recent Publications

• Kelly, Caitlin. (2023). A Study on Sound and Sound Design for Accessibility in Cultural Heritage Contexts in Ireland. 1-9. 10.1109/I3DA57090.2023.10289582. 
• Kelly, Caitlin, F. Martinez, Juan, McCarthy, Hugh (2025). A Case Study on RTLS Deployment for the Implementation of Accessible Cultural Heritage Experiences. 1-15. 10.1080/10400435.2025.2565704.
• Kelly, Caitlin, McCarthy, Hugh (Forthcoming). Immersive Sound Design for Access and Inclusion for the Blind/Vision Impaired Community. 1-14. Sage Convergence SAMIS Special Issue.
• Browne, E. and Clemens, M., 2025, June. AI Music Artist Toolkit (AIMAT)-A Modular Environment for Experimenting with AI in Music. In 2025 IEEE International Conference on Multimedia and Expo Workshops (ICMEW) (pp. 1-7). IEEE.
• Browne, E. (2025) “The Shape of Surprise: Structured Uncertainty and Co-Creativity in AI Music Tools”. The AI Music Creativity Conference (AIMC), Zenodo. doi:10.5281/zenodo.16946685.
• Davis, N., Clemens, M., Browne, E. and Rezwana, J., 2025. Unlocking the Black Box of Artificial Media with Quantified and Explainable Co-Creative AI Systems. In Artificial Media: Emerging Trends in Narratives, Education and Creative Practice (pp. 21-48). Cham: Springer Nature Switzerland.
• Davis, N., Clemens, M., Rezwana, J. and Browne, E., Date TBC (Forthcoming). Human-AI Co-Creation: A New Interaction Paradigm for Human-AI Interaction. In Handbook of Human-Centered Artificial Intelligence (pp. TBC). Singapore: Springer Nature Singapore.
• C. Ó. Nuanáin et al., "Réaltacht: Creating Immersive and Accessible Experiences of Irish Traditional Music in Virtual Reality," 2023 4th International Symposium on the Internet of Sounds, Pisa, Italy, 2023, pp. 1-5, doi: 10.1109/IEEECONF59510.2023.10335197. keywords:(Headphones; Art; Pipelines; Music; Production; Immersive experience; Recording; virtual reality; ambisonics; digital cultural heritage; Irish traditional music),
• J. Clarke, C. Ó. Nuanáin, "Evaluating Presence in Immersive Virtual Reality Concert Experiences," 2025 International Conference on Immersive and 3D Audio (I3DA), Bologna, Italy, 2025, Paper 73, to be published. Keywords: (3D Audio; Presence; Immersion; Virtual Reality; Surveys; Music; Traditional Irish Music; Ambisonics; Recording;),
• J. Clarke, C. Ó. Nuanáin, "Réaltacht: A VR Concert Experience - Presentation," 2023 Musense Multiplier Event, Corfu, Greece, 2023
• Sheehan, B. (2025) “Embodied Sonic Analysis: Playing Analytically.” Danijela Kulezic-Wilson Memorial Postgraduate Symposium, University College Cork, 17 October.
• Sheehan, B. (2026) “Sonic Thinking, Auditory History and Auditory Displays.” The Historical Ear: What is Auditory History? 1st International Conference of the IMS Study Group Auditory History, Paris, 18-21st March.
• Brian Boydell (1917-2000): The String Quartets, A critical Edition and Study
• A.J. Potter (1918-1980): An Annotated Catalogue of Works
• A Critical Edition of the String Quartets of John Kinsella (b.1962)
• The Piano Laboratory as an Interlinking Resource in the Development of Keyboard Skills for Young Pianists
• Aloys Fleischmann (1910-1992): A Critical Edition of String Quartet (1938), Mass (1972) and Mass for Peace (1976)
• A Biographical Sketch of Gerard Victory with a Catalogue of Works
• Government Policy on Irish Music Education at Second-Level since 1921
• Issues and Challenges in Secondary School Music in Ireland
• The Commissioned Works of the Contemporary Music Seminars of the Cork International Choral Festival 1962-2012: An Annotated Catalogue
• The Amateur Musical Production as a Community of Practice
• Awareness and Responsibility Expansion in the Young Performer: how can I Improve my Practice to Facilitate the Development of the Young Violinist’s Performance Preparation Skills?

Professional Body Membership

• Irish Association of Creative Arts Therapists (IACAT)
• Inclusive National Higher Education Forum. INHEF. 
• Sing Ireland
• Society of Musicology in Ireland (SMI)
• Society of Music Education in Ireland (SMEI)
• Association of European Conservatoires