Research Interests
1. Technological, historical, and sociocultural study of Electronic Music Studios (London) (EMS), both the computer music studios of Peter Zinovieff and the famous music synthesisers, such as the VCS3 and Synthi 100, which EMS produced.
This research is the only substantial and continuing academic work on this area of British/electronic music history and draws on unprecedented access to archival material in the UK and Australia. This strand grew out of the research for the six-part RNZ Concert series and website on electronic music 'These Hopeful Machines'
https://www.rnz.co.nz/concert/programmes/hopefulmachines
2. My compositional work, dealing with the limits of notation, the place of western art music in current society, the possibilities of acoustic instruments, and alternative tuning systems and their frictions with equal temperament.
- Music technologies and their histories.
- The history and practice of post-war art music, electronic music and popular mus
- Notated music composition and performance
Recent Publications
- Gardner JE. and Fox C. (2018) 'It's not something one can deliberately set out to do': Christian Wolff in conversation. Tempo 72(283): 56-79. http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/S0040298217000948.
- Gardner J., Finnissy M., Holloway S., Hawkins R., Menzies M. and Knoop M. (2017) Finnissy: Piano Concerto no.3/...above earth's shadow - by 175 East. Executive Producer, Conductor, Contributor to booklet, Writer, Booklet editor: [Digital download music recording and booklet].
- Gardner J.. (2017) The Don Banks Music Box to The Putney: The genesis and development of the VCS3 synthesiser.. In Landy L (Eds). Organised Sound 22(2 (Alternative Histories of Electroacoustic Music)): 217-227. Cambridge University Press. http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/S1355771817000127.
- Gardner JE. (2017) Nakashima Burl. Composers Edition, UK. Ben Hoadley via Creative New Zealand. [for bassoon and string trio]. c.26 minutes.
- Gardner JE. (2017) Tape Leaders: A Compendium of Early British Electronic Music Composers by Ian Helliwell (Book review). TEMPO 71(280): 95-97. Cambridge University Press. http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/S0040298217000195.
