Associate Professor David Hirst is an Honorary Principal Research Fellow in the Faculty of the Victorian College of the Arts and the Melbourne Conservatorium of Music. He has been a researcher, composer, and teacher of electroacoustic music for more than 30 years.He has a PhD in Electroacoustic Music Composition and Musical Cognition, by Thesis and Composition portfolio (University of Melbourne 2006).Hirst’s works have been played in the United States, Canada, the UK, Australia, Asia and New Zealand.
Recordings of Hirst's works have been released on Apple iTunes and Frog Peak Music USA, PeP Recordings Canada, the Australian Computer Music Association, and NMA Tapes Australia. His works have been broadcast on Australian national and local radio networks, and internationally. Hirst has published extensively on electroacoustic music research, in journals such as Computer Music Journal , Organised Sound, Array, Chroma, Sounds Australian, New Music Articles, Press Press Magazine, and he was the founding editor of Mikropolyphonie, the online contemporary music journal (1996-2004). His book, A Cognitive Framework for the Analysis of Acousmatic Music: Analysing Wind Chimes by Denis Smalley, was published by VDM Verlag in 2008. Hirst’s interest in the analysis and perception of electroacoustic music has led to the recent chapter ‘Sound analysis and musicology’ in the Andrew Brown edited book Sound Musicianship: Understanding the Crafts of Music.Hirst has held academic appointments at the Tasmanian Conservatorium of Music, La Trobe University, and the University of Melbourne.Leadership positions include four years as Head of the Music Department at La Trobe University, Head of Courseware Development at the University of Melbourne, and Director of Design for Learning in the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences at La Trobe University.Hirst has served Australian music as: a Member of the Board of Directors of the Australian Music Centre (2001-2004); Secretary (1989-1991) and President (1992-1993) of the Australasian Computer Music Association. His current research interests include the use of cognitive models in the analysis of electroacoustic music, human computer interaction in the real-time performance of computer music, as well as composition and performance of electroacoustic music.
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Scholarly Works
Displaying the 20 most recent scholarly works by David Hirst.
Honours, Awards and Fellowships
Awarded the D M Myers University Medal as the most outstanding Humanities honours graduate for 1981.
Credentials
Positions
Honorary
Melbourne Conservatorium Of Music
Education
Doctor of Philosophy
University of Melbourne
Graduate Diploma in Computing Studies
Swinburne University of Technology
Master of Arts
La Trobe University
Bachelor of Arts
La Trobe University