Laudan Nooshin
Ethnomusicologist; Music Scholar
Professor in the Department of Music at City University of London
Laudan Nooshin is an ethnomusicologist whose main focus is researching broad fields of ethnomusicology, popular music studies, and film music studies with a focus on music in Iran and the Middle East. However, she believes that calling herself an ethnomusicologist separates her from others in the music studies family. She refers to herself as a music scholar but is still aware that ethnomusicology is her “family”. She has earned her BA in music from the University of Leeds and earned her MMus in Ethnomusicology from Goldsmiths’ College (University of London). She also earned a PhD at Goldsmiths College in 1996 in Iranian classical music, where she taught from 1987-1991. She has taught in the Department of Performing Arts at Brunel University and is currently a Professor in the Department of Music at the City University of London. She has many research interests that are focused on Iranian music and art. Some examples are; contemporary developments in Iranian traditional and popular music, music and youth culture in Iran, music in Iranian cinema, sound in urban space with a focus on Tehran, and the ethnomusicology of Euro-American art music.
One of Laudan Nooshin’s biggest impacts she has had on people outside of music is an illustrated children’s book with a soundtrack called, ‘The Phoenix of Persia’. This book’s goal is to introduce children to Iranian music through storytelling and allow them to learn about the culture and history of another country. With creating her own book, she has also been a recipient of many awards due to her writings in ethnomusicology. She has been awarded the 109 Helen Roberts Prize by the Society for Ethnomusicology for her 2018 article on “Our Angel of Salvation”. She also earned the 2016 British Forum for Ethnomusicology Book Prize on her Monograph Iranian Classical Music: The discourses and Practice of Creativity 2015. Laudan Nooshin has had many leadership roles such as being a member of the advisory board for the Middle East Journal of Culture and Communication, as well as being the Vice-President and Trustee of the Royal Musical Association. She has done 3 keynote lectures/speeches, has 33 online articles, and has been in 3 radio broadcasts. Her goal is to spread awareness of Iranian music which is why she organized and led an education trip to Iran for 6 students from her music department in June of 2008.
Laudan Nooshin believes that ethnomusicology includes many people who have an array of interests from different areas of study and methodologies. However, they all share one common goal which is to better understand music, music-making, and how music is a part of people’s lives.
Works Cited
“Professor Laudan Nooshin.” City, University of London, City, University of London, 7 Sept. 2020, www.city.ac.uk/people/academics/laudan-nooshin.
