David Kidger

Associate Professor of Musicology
Music History Program Coordinator

Contact: [email protected]
(248) 370-4308

Links: Dr. Kidger's CV

David Kidger is Associate Professor of Musicology in the Department of Music, Theatre and Dance at Oakland University. He came to Oakland University in 1998, having received a PhD and AM in Musicology from Harvard University, an MA in Music from the University of California, Santa Barbara, and a BA in Music from the University of Exeter, England.

His main research area is in the music and culture of cinquecento Venice, particularly the music of Adrian Willaert, maestro di cappella of San Marco from 1527 to 1562, examining the relationship of Willaert’s music with that of the previous generation, especially Josquin Desprez and Jean Mouton. More recently he has begun a research project on concert life in London in the inter-war years, focusing on the intersection of philanthropy, audience building, music education, and music appreciation.

He has published articles and reviews in Music and Letters, Musical Quarterly, Early Music, and the Journal of the Alamire Foundation. Other publications include an edition of the compete works of Petrus de Domarto (Antico), Four Orchestral Symphonies of C.P.E. Bach (Packard Humanities Foundation - Complete Works Edition), which was reprinted in a study score edition, Adrian Willaert – Guide to Research (Routledge), in book and online versions, and articles for Grove Music, 2nd Edition and Grove Music Online (Oxford UP). He received the Oakland University Faculty Recognition Award (2006), Faculty Research Fellowship (2004), and Faculty Research Award.

He has read papers at national and international conferences including the American Musicological Society (National, Midwest, Greater New York, New England), Renaissance Society of America (Los Angeles, Venice, Berlin), International Musicological Society (Leuven, Belgium), Royal Musical Association-UK (Aberdeen and Birmingham), Annual Medieval and Renaissance Music Conference-UK (Birmingham, London, Oxford, Southampton), and also more specialized conferences on Renaissance Music in Brussels, Oxford and Princeton.

At Oakland University, he is coordinator of the music history area, teaching undergraduate and graduate music history, general education music history, capstone music seminars, and in the Honors College. He has taught courses under fourteen different rubrics in the current catalog. More recently he has developed two 100% online courses in music history (MUS107 and MUS527), and an interdisciplinary course on Renaissance Venice. All his courses draw extensively on online audio, video and written materials posted on the Moodle platform to support classroom instruction.

Since 1999, he has served as advisor for the BA (Music) program, and the two music-minor tracks. He oversaw the current installation of Apple computers and music technology in the MTD Tech Lab (Varner 217), writing the funding proposal and installing hardware and software, in support of academic classes in the department. He plays viola in the Oakland Chamber Orchestra and the Oakland Symphony Orchestra, and has written programs notes for the Oakland Symphony and the Detroit Symphony.

He has served on university committees including Enrollment Planning, Senate Planning and Review, University Assessment, Senate Athletic Committee, U.C.U.I. and the Honors College Council; CAS committees includes Committee on Instruction (two terms, chair 2015-2016), Graduate Studies, and Committee on Appointments and Promotion (chair 2008-2009).

Outside professional service includes committee positions for the American Musicological Society (National and Midwest), and organizer and host for the AMS Midwest-Chapter Spring 2011 meeting held at Oakland University, as well as chairing sessions at academic conferences.