Fiona M Palmer

Professor Fiona M. Palmer is a musicologist and a performer whose research focuses on the socio-economic history of music and musicians in Britain. A double bassist, mezzo-soprano and flautist, Fiona is a first-class graduate of Birmingham Conservatoire and undertook her PhD in Musicology at the University of Birmingham as a British Academy Scholar. Aside from academic posts, her career has included work as a professional orchestral player, as the Manager of the Examinations Department at the ABRSM, and as a peripatetic instrumental and vocal teacher and conductor.  In October 2007 Fiona moved from a Senior Lectureship at Queen’s University, Belfast, to take up the position of Professor of Music and Head of Department at Maynooth University. Under her Headship (2007–2014) the Music Department benefited from (inter alia) expanded personnel and physical resources; a systematic review, revision and development of its research activities and undergraduate and postgraduate programmes; an expansion of its conference hosting, portfolio of ensembles and concert-giving activities. 

Fiona’s publications focus on music and musicians in the British marketplace between the late eighteenth and early twentieth centuries. They are concerned with the culture and commerce of the music profession and examine institutions, standards and competition, performance practice, canonization, publishing, reception and socio-economic issues.

Fiona's most recent monograph was published in March 2017: Conductors in Britain c. 1870–1914: Wielding the Baton at the Height of Empire (Woodbridge: Boydell Press, 2017).  This book contextualizes and reconsiders the emergence and reception of the role of conductor in the late Victorian age. It examines evolving institutional and professional opportunities during this richly dynamic period. The conductors at the heart of this re-evaluation include Julius Benedict, William Cusins, Arthur Sullivan, Joseph Barnby, Alexander C. Mackenzie, Frederic H. Cowen, Dan Godfrey Jr and Landon Ronald. Their varying experiences, contributions, networks and opportunities combine to reflect the progress of the emerging conducting profession. This large project draws on Fiona's detailed research into British concert-life and sheds new light on the histories of organizations such as the Philharmonic Society of London, the Liverpool Philharmonic Society, Manchester's Hallé Orchestra, the Bournemouth Municipal Orchestra, the Royal Choral Society, Birmingham Promenade Concerts and music festivals nationwide.    

Fiona’s previous books include: Vincent Novello (1781–1861): Music for the Masses (Aldershot: Ashgate, 2006) — the first large-scale contextualized reappraisal of the career of the pioneering London-based editor and publisher. This monograph complemented her earlier book which repositioned one of the most influential and well-connected and successful virtuosi in nineteenth-century London: Dragonetti in England (1794–1846): the Career of a Double Bass Virtuoso (Oxford University Press, 1997). 


Fiona was very lucky to be trained via the Northamptonshire Music Service from a young age and participated in multiple ensembles, recitals, international tours and residential courses.  As a first-class graduate of the Birmingham Conservatoire, with double bass as her first study, she freelanced with many ensembles, especially the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra (1989–1997).  During these years the CBSO enjoyed the stewardship of Sir Simon Rattle and Fiona was involved with recordings under the direction of such maestri as Walter Weller and Paarvo Jaervi; she also spent some time as a member of New Zealand’s Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra.  

Fiona undertook her doctoral research at Birmingham University (1990–93) where she was fortunate to enjoy the mentorship of Professor Cyril Ehrlich alongside supervision from Professors Basil Deane and Colin Timms. She was Manager of the Examinations Department at the Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music in London (1997–99). During this time she project-managed the ground-breaking Diploma 2000 Syllabus and liaised with educational agencies (such as the QCA) over matters of comparability. In July 1999 she moved to Northern Ireland to work at Queen's University in Belfast and was promoted to Senior Lecturer in 2002. During her eight years at QUB she transformed the Performance Programme, convened the BMus degree, taught modules across the curriculum (undergraduate and postgraduate) and served on committees at School, University and national level. She also regularly played the double bass on a freelance basis with the Ulster Orchestra, travelling with them to New York and to perform at the BBC London Promenade Concerts.  

Fiona serves on the Board of the National Youth Orchestra of Ireland (2007—), is currently External Examiner for the BA Music programme at Liverpool Hope University (2015-19) and a member of the Development Committee of the North American British Music Studies Association. Formerly a Councillor of the Royal Musical Association (2002–05), Fiona was an elected Councillor of the Society for Musicology in Ireland for three consecutive terms (2006-15). Fiona has chaired for HETAC and participated in inter-institutional curricular discussions; she has also chaired the finals of the Catherine Judge Memorial Award (2014; 2015). She has acted as an external examiner for programmes at the Royal College of Music and at Dundalk Institute of Technology, and for doctoral dissertations at the Universities of Melbourne, Leeds, Canterbury Christchurch College, Queen’s University Belfast, the Royal College of Music and the Royal Northern College of Music. She has contributed to radio documentaries and discussions on Bayerische Rundfunk Klassik, BBC Radio Ulster, RTÉ Radio 1, and RTÉ Lyric FM. Fiona is a member of the International Advisory Board for the Royal Musical Association Research Chronicle and acts as a peer reviewer for a number of publishers.