Episode 3: Mini opera and the secret lives of composers and music producers

The podcast is presented by Stefanie Barschdorf and Simon Zagorski-Thomas. The production team were Stefanie Barschdorf, Maciej Kierzkowski, Gittit Pearlmutter and Simon Zagorski-Thomas. Our guests on this episode are Martyna Kosecka, a PhD candidate and research fellow at the Norwegian Academy of Music, Oslo, Paul Archbold, a composer of acoustic and electroacoustic works, a lecturer in electronic and produced music at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London and a research fellow at the School of Advanced Studies, University of London and Samantha Bennett, a professor of music in the School of Music, College of Arts and Social Sciences at the Australian National University Principal Fellow of the Higher Education Academy and Chair of the International Association for the Study of Popular Music. We start by discussing what kinds of general conclusions can be drawn from looking at individual cases studies in their various fields. The video about Martyna's project - "Mini-opera: on the dramaturgy of protest" - can be found on the C21MP.ORG website  and here she discusses the process behind creating short operas and experimental theatre works that combine music, theatre, mixed media, and sociopolitical themes with a particular focus on women's lives in Iran, Poland and Norway. Paul discusses a series of video documentaries to be shared on the website which explore the work of several composers through interviews and documentary films about the rehearsal and performance of their work. Sam discusses her new Cambridge Element which is available open access for the first two weeks of May 2026 and thereafter by subscription or purchase on "Secrets and Revelations in Music and Audio Technology Cultures". She explores the culture of trade secrets in the world of audio production.