Keith Potter
Staff details
Keith Potter studied at the University of Birmingham, University College Cardiff and the University of York. Dissertations on Roberto Gerhard and Morton Feldman, plus several published articles on these composers, have been followed by a range of research and publications covering many different areas of contemporary music, with a particular emphasis on British and American work. Scholarship has been extensively supplemented with reviewing for many magazines, journals and newspapers. He was the co-founder and, for seventeen years, Chief Editor of Contact: a Journal of Contemporary Music , and for ten years a regular music critic on The Independent daily newspaper.
Invited lecture and other appearances since 2005 include a paper given in a session on Earle Brown at the Society for American Music Conference, Eugene, Oregon, USA; participation in a roundtable discussion on 'Marketing New Music' at the Fourth Biennial International Conference on Twentieth-Century Music at the University of Sussex; papers on aspects of musical minimalism at symposia at University College, Cork, Ireland and at the Getty Research Institute, Los Angeles; two lectures on the music of Steve Reich and participation in a roundtable discussion at Carnegie Hall, New York; a paper on Earle Brown's writings at the Royal Academy of Music, London; a paper (with Geraint A. Wiggins) on the use of information-dynamics in analysing the early compositions of Philip Glass at the Fifth Biennial International Conference on Music Since 1900 at the University of York; the opening keynote lecture at the First International Conference on Music and Minimalism at the University of Bangor, Wales; and a pre-concert talk (with Robert Worby) on Philip Glass's Music in Twelve Parts at the Barbican Centre, London.
Since 1982 he has been a trustee of the Hinrichsen Foundation, also serving on several of its sub-committees. In 1989 he taught at the University of Redlands, California. He developed the pioneering MMus in Contemporary Music Studies which has been offered at Goldsmiths since 1998. He was organiser of the Second Biennial International Conference on Twentieth-Century Music, Goldsmiths College in 2001 and of several other conferences at Goldsmiths, including a one-day event to celebrate and commemorate the British composer Cornelius Cardew in 2006.
From 2004 to 2007, he was Head of the Department of Music at Goldsmiths and also a member of College Council. From 2006 he has been on the Advisory Council of the Institute of Musical Research in the School of Advanced Study, University of London, and from 2007 on the Goldsmiths Honorary Degrees and Fellowships Committee. From 2007 he has been a founding committee member of the Society for Minimalist Music.
Areas of supervision
Current PhD Students
Paul Cassidy (Performance Pathway): American minimalist and postminimalist music for solo piano and two pianos
Paul Gilgunn: Rhys Chatham and American postminimalism
Anastasios Mavroudis (Performance Pathway): Yorgos Sicilianos: performing his chamber music and Violin Concerto
Ourania Menelaou (Performance Pathway): Contemporary piano music
Maria Yerosimou: Jani Christou's music-theatre work, Strychnine Lady: contexts, aesthetics and analysis
Research Interests
Present research work includes books on the American composers Earle Brown and Steve Reich, and collaboration with colleagues from the Departments of Computing and Psychology at Goldsmiths, and from the Department of Electronic Engineering at Queen Mary College, University of London, in a project on information and neural dynamics in the perception of musical structure, including particular reference to minimalist musical compositions.
Publications
Book
Philip Glass: First Classics, 1968-1969
Potter, Keith. 2010. Philip Glass: First Classics, 1968-1969. London and New York: Chester Music. ISBN 0-521-48250
Four Musical Minimalists: La Monte Young, Terry Riley, Steve Reich, Philip Glass
Potter, Keith. 2002. Four Musical Minimalists: La Monte Young, Terry Riley, Steve Reich, Philip Glass. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 9780521015011
Edited Book
The Ashgate Research Companion on Minimalist and Postminimalist Music
Potter, Keith S.; ap Sion, Pwyll and Gann, Kyle, eds. 2013. The Ashgate Research Companion on Minimalist and Postminimalist Music. Aldershot: Ashgate. ISBN 9781472402783
Book Section
Harmonic Progressions as a Gradual Process: towards an understanding of the development of tonality in the music of Steve Reich.
Potter, Keith. 2017. Harmonic Progressions as a Gradual Process: towards an understanding of the development of tonality in the music of Steve Reich. In: Felix Woerner and Philip Rupprecht, eds. Tonality Since 1950. Stuttgart: Franz Steiner Verlag, pp. 189-207. ISBN 978-3-515-11582-7
Sketching a New Tonality: a preliminary assessment of Steve Reich’s sketches for Music for 18 Musicians in telling the story of this work’s approach to tonality
Potter, Keith. 2017. Sketching a New Tonality: a preliminary assessment of Steve Reich’s sketches for Music for 18 Musicians in telling the story of this work’s approach to tonality. In: Pwyll ap Sion and Sumanth Gopinath, eds. Rethinking Reich. New York: Oxford University Press.
On the Nature of Subjectivity in Music Analysis: some observations on analysing an early score by Philip Glass
Potter, Keith; Wilkins, Suzie and Wiggins, Geraint. 2016. On the Nature of Subjectivity in Music Analysis: some observations on analysing an early score by Philip Glass. In: Lauren Redhead and Vanessa Hawes, eds. Music and/as Process. Newcastle: Cambridge Scholars Publishing, pp. 34-55. ISBN 978-1-4438-9491-3
Mapping Early Minimalism
Potter, Keith. 2013. Mapping Early Minimalism. In: Keith S. Potter; Kyle Gann and Pwyll ap Siôn, eds. The Ashgate Research Companion to Minimalist and Postminimalist Music. Farnham, UK: Ashgate, pp. 19-37. ISBN 9781409435495
Introduction: experimental, minimalist, postminimalist? Origins, definitions, communities
Potter, Keith; Gann, Kyle and ap Sion, Pwyll. 2013. Introduction: experimental, minimalist, postminimalist? Origins, definitions, communities. In: Keith S. Potter; Kyle Gann and Pwyll ap Sion, eds. The Ashgate Research Companion to Minimalist and Postminimalist Music. Farnham: Ashgate, pp. 1-16. ISBN 9781 409435495
Le Minimalisme
Potter, Keith. 2013. Le Minimalisme. In: Nicolas Donin and Laurent Feneyrou, eds. Théories de la composition musicale au xxe siècle. 2 Lyon, France: Symétrie, pp. 775-800. ISBN 978-2-914373-60-9
A Conversation with James Dillon
Potter, Keith. 2003. A Conversation with James Dillon. In: P. O'Hagan, ed. Aspects of British Music of the 1990's. Ashgate, pp. 131-140. ISBN 0004707729
Entry on David Bedford
Potter, Keith. 2001. Entry on David Bedford. In: L. Finscher, ed. Die Musik in Geschichte und Gegenwart. Kassel: Barenreiter.
Entries on 20th-century British composers and other subjects: 'Minimalism'; 'Bedford, David', 'Bryars, Gavin', 'Fitkin, Graham', 'Martland, Steve', 'Montague Stephen', 'Skempton, Howard'
Potter, Keith. 2001. Entries on 20th-century British composers and other subjects: 'Minimalism'; 'Bedford, David', 'Bryars, Gavin', 'Fitkin, Graham', 'Martland, Steve', 'Montague Stephen', 'Skempton, Howard'. In: Stanley Sadie and John Tyrell, eds. The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians. London: Macmillan.
Four revised articles on contemporary American composers: 'Adams, John', 'Glass, Philip', 'Monk, Meredith' and 'Reich, Steve'; also versions of previously published entries on 'Kagel, Mauricio' and 'Schnittke, Alfred'
Potter, Keith. 2001. Four revised articles on contemporary American composers: 'Adams, John', 'Glass, Philip', 'Monk, Meredith' and 'Reich, Steve'; also versions of previously published entries on 'Kagel, Mauricio' and 'Schnittke, Alfred'. In: Amanda Holden, ed. The New Penguin Opera Guide. London: Penguin Books.
'Cornelius Cardew: some (Postmodern?) reflections on Experimental Music and political music
Potter, Keith. 1995. 'Cornelius Cardew: some (Postmodern?) reflections on Experimental Music and political music. In: Mark Delaere, ed. New Music, Aesthetics and Ideology/Neue Musik, Asthetik und Ideologie. Wilhelshaven: Germany: Florian Noetzel, pp. 152-169.
The Current Musical Scene
Potter, Keith. 1993. The Current Musical Scene. In: Robert P. Morgan, ed. Modern Times: from World War I to the present. Englewood Cliffs, NJ/Basingstoke: Prentice Hall/Macmillan, pp. 349-387. ISBN 0 13 590159 6
Article
‘New Chaconnes for Old?’: Steve Reich’s Sketches for Variations for Winds, Strings and Keyboards, with some thoughts on their significance for the analysis of the composer’s harmonic language in the late 1970s
Potter, Keith. 2018. ‘New Chaconnes for Old?’: Steve Reich’s Sketches for Variations for Winds, Strings and Keyboards, with some thoughts on their significance for the analysis of the composer’s harmonic language in the late 1970s. Contemporary Music Review, 36(5), pp. 436-439. ISSN 0749-4467
Perception of Rhythmic Similarity is Asymmetrical, and is Influenced by Musical Training, Expressive Performance, and Musical Context
Cameron, Daniel; Potter, Keith; Wiggins, Geraint and Pearce, Marcus. 2017. Perception of Rhythmic Similarity is Asymmetrical, and is Influenced by Musical Training, Expressive Performance, and Musical Context. Timing & Time Perception, ISSN 2213-445X
Obituary: 'Roger Smalley; Composer, pianist and pupil of Karlheinz Stockhausen who became a leading figure of the European avant-garde'
Potter, Keith. 2015. Obituary: 'Roger Smalley; Composer, pianist and pupil of Karlheinz Stockhausen who became a leading figure of the European avant-garde'. The Independent,
Philip Glass: the compositions and some contexts
Potter, Keith. 2008. Philip Glass: the compositions and some contexts. Glass: a Nonesuch Retrospective Box, pp. 49-72. ISSN Nonesuch 424508-2
Programme Notes
Potter, Keith. 2008. Programme Notes. BBC Symphony Orchestra/Mikhail Agrest,
An Objective Basis for Music Theory: Information-Dynamic Analysis of Minimalist Music
Potter, Keith; Wiggins, Geraint and Pearce, Marcus T.. 2007. An Objective Basis for Music Theory: Information-Dynamic Analysis of Minimalist Music. Musicae Scientiae, 11(2), pp. 295-324. ISSN 1029 8649
Programme notes for works by Steve Reich (Los Angeles Master Chorale/Grant Gershon)
Potter, Keith. 2006. Programme notes for works by Steve Reich (Los Angeles Master Chorale/Grant Gershon). Lincoln Center, New York,
Obituary: 'James Tenney; Musical Maverick'
Potter, Keith. 2006. Obituary: 'James Tenney; Musical Maverick'. The Independent,
Programme notes for works by Steve Reich (London Symphony Orchestra and Chorus/Xian Zhang)
Potter, Keith. 2006. Programme notes for works by Steve Reich (London Symphony Orchestra and Chorus/Xian Zhang). Barbican Centre,
Obituary: 'Carla Hinrichsen; Music Publisher at Peters Music'
Potter, Keith. 2005. Obituary: 'Carla Hinrichsen; Music Publisher at Peters Music'. The Independent,
Obituary: 'Hugh Davies; Iconoclastic innovator in electronic music'
Potter, Keith. 2005. Obituary: 'Hugh Davies; Iconoclastic innovator in electronic music'. The Independent,
What's The Score?
Potter, Keith. 2004. What's The Score? The Independent,
Obituary: 'Earle Brown: Innovative and Influential Composer.'
Potter, Keith. 2002. Obituary: 'Earle Brown: Innovative and Influential Composer.'. The Independent,
'Hi-tech tales for a weird, wired world'
Potter, Keith. 2002. 'Hi-tech tales for a weird, wired world'. The Independent,
Programme notes for the British premieres of Philip Glass's Second and Third Symphonies (BBC Symphony Orchestra/Marin Alsop)
Potter, Keith. 2001. Programme notes for the British premieres of Philip Glass's Second and Third Symphonies (BBC Symphony Orchestra/Marin Alsop). Barbican Centre,
'Klinghoffer Resurrected' (Concert Review)
Potter, Keith. 2001. 'Klinghoffer Resurrected' (Concert Review). The Independent,
A ripe harvest of Eastern promise
Potter, Keith. 2000. A ripe harvest of Eastern promise. The Independent, p. 16.
Booklet essay for Philip Glass: Violin Concerto, Prelude and Dance from Akhnaten and Company (Naxos 8 554568)
Potter, Keith. 2000. Booklet essay for Philip Glass: Violin Concerto, Prelude and Dance from Akhnaten and Company (Naxos 8 554568). Philip Glass: Violin Concerto, Prelude and Dance from Akhnaten and Company, p. 1.
'Notes on Cage'
Potter, Keith. 2000. 'Notes on Cage'. 'John Cage: The Seasons' (ECM New Series 1696),
The pursuit of the unimaginable by the unnarratable, or some potentially telling developments in non-developmental music
Potter, Keith. 1996. The pursuit of the unimaginable by the unnarratable, or some potentially telling developments in non-developmental music. Contemporary Music Review, 3-4, pp. 3-11.
Conference or Workshop Item
Entrainment of Premotor Cortex Activity by Ambiguity in Musical Metre
Cameron, Daniel; Lindsen, Job P.; Pearce, Marcus; Wiggins, Geraint; Potter, Keith and Bhattacharya, Joydeep. 2012. 'Entrainment of Premotor Cortex Activity by Ambiguity in Musical Metre'. In: Proceedings of the 12th International Conference on Music Perception and Cognition and the 8th Triennial Conference of the European Society for the Cognitive Sciences of Music. Thessaloniki, Greece July 23-28.
Perception of Rhythmic Similarity in Reich’s Clapping Music: Factors and Models
Cameron, Daniel; Potter, Keith; Wiggins, Geraint and Pearce, Marcus T.. 2012. 'Perception of Rhythmic Similarity in Reich’s Clapping Music: Factors and Models'. In: Proceedings of the 12th International Conference on Music Perception and Cognition and the 8th Triennial Conference of the European Society for the Cognitive Sciences of Music. Thessaloniki, Greece July 23-28.
1976 and All That: Minimalism and Postminimalism, Analysis and Listening Strategies.
Potter, Keith. 2007. '1976 and All That: Minimalism and Postminimalism, Analysis and Listening Strategies.'. In: Proceedings of the First International Conference on Music and Minimalism. Bangor, United Kingdom 11/1/2007.
Digital
Profile of John Adams for BBC Proms
Potter, Keith. Profile of John Adams for BBC Proms.