Office of the Dean of Teaching and Learning

Alison is a first-class honours and PhD graduate of Trinity College Dublin. During her time at Trinity she was awarded the Taylor Entrance Exhibition (1992), the Home Hewson Scholarship (1996), the Trinity College Postgraduate Award (1999), and the Government of Ireland Scholarship (1999). She was elected Scholar of Trinity in 1994. She lectured part-time in Trinity from 1997 to 2003 and was appointed visiting lecturer at the University of Oregon for the autumn term of 2001. She began lecturing in Maynooth University in 2003 and was appointed Acting Head of Department in 2012–2013. Her research interests lie in the area of analysis and performance, particularly in piano music from the nineteenth century. Recent publications include: ‘Structural Coupling in the Coda of Chopin’s Barcarolle’, in Artur Szklener (ed.), Chopin 1810–2010: Ideas—Interpretations—Influence, (Warsaw, 2017); ‘Shared Compositional Strategies in Chopin’s Nocturnes Opus 48’, in Irish Musical Studies 11 (2014); and ‘Ambiguity of Tonal Meaning in Chopin’s Prelude Opus 28, No. 22’, Music Theory Online (2012). Her monograph Interpreting Chopin: Analysis and Performance was published by Ashgate in April 2014. In addition, she has developed her interest in pedagogical research and has built up research expertise in large group pedagogies, student engagement and the assessment process and has presented and published the results of this research. Her current research is interdisciplinary in nature, focusing on performance and performative analysis and the opportunities that can emerge when Music as a discipline interacts with other parts of the Academy. She currently co-convenes the research cluster ‘Performance, Practice & Interactivity’ with Dr Antonio Cascelli. Alison was appointed Dean of Teaching and Learning at Maynooth University in February 2016.

Alison is a pianist and cellist engaged in both classical and popular performing and recording. As a cellist, Alison has performed with many well-known recording artists in solo and group studio recordings, and in television and concert hall appearances. She is a founder member of the Elgin String Quartet and still has an active interest in chamber music. As a soloist in the piano concertos of Grieg and Beethoven, Alison has performed with both Youth and Professional orchestras. She has also performed solo piano to audiences throughout Europe and in America. She was appointed external piano examiner for the Royal Irish Academy of Music for their annual assessments in 2003. Her debut album of John Field's music was released by RCA Victor, New York, in 1999. She has recently finished recording her second solo piano album, which is due to be released next year. Alison is the director of the John Field Institute, which she founded in 2006. In 2007 she was awarded ‘Female Musician of the Year’ from Liveireland.com and ‘Female Musician of the Year’ from Top TIR Awards (Chicago Irish American News). Alison's presentations and publications reflect her interests in musical analysis and performance.