• Gresham Lectures

In 2003-06, Adrian Thomas was the Gresham Professor of Music at Gresham College, London  He was subsequently appointed Fellow (2006-09) and Emeritus Professor (pictured, right, with colleagues in 2007).  Among his predecessors in the more than 400-year history of the College and its Chair of Music were John Bull, Iannis Xenakis, Johnny Dankworth, Joanna McGregor and Piers Hellawell.  He was succeeded by Roger Parker and Christopher Hogwood.

The post required six public lectures each year (in the old days they were given twice, once in English, once in Latin!).  Adrian Thomas focused his 18 lectures on Eastern European music, primarily Polish, covering topics from medieval to contemporary music.  Many of these lectures can be accessed in hard copy or webcast format by following this link to Gresham College.

2003-04
• ‘Music and Nationhood’ (9 October 2003)
• ‘How to Make Propaganda Popular’ (13 November 2003)
• ‘The Hungarian Experience’, with Dr Rachel Beckles Willson (11 December 2003)
• ‘Music and the Media’ (15 January 2004)
• ‘The Cultural Politics of War, Peace and Sacrifice’ (12 February 2004)
• ‘The Pope’s Divisions’ (11 March 2004)

2004-05  Musical Thoughts and Afterthoughts
• ‘Chopin in the Hands of Others’ (28 October 2004)
• ‘The Composer-Virtuoso: Liszt’s Transcendental Studies’, with Prof. Jim Samson (18 November 2004)
• ‘The Composer-Virtuoso: Zarębski’s Piano Quintet’ (16 December 2004)
• ‘Janáček’s Creative Timetable’, with Prof. John Tyrrell (17 February 2005)
• ‘Lutosławski’s Cello Concerto’ (17 March 2005)
• ‘Shostakovich’s String Quartet 8’, with Prof. David Fanning (17 June 2005), in conjunction with the City of London Festival

2005-06  Music in History
• ‘Music in History’ (6 October 2005)
• ‘St Stanislaus and Student Revelries’ (3 November 2005)
• ‘Mazurkas and Christmas Lullabies’ (1 December 2005)
• ‘Music in the Age of Copernicus’ (23 February 2006)
• ‘Canzonas and Easter Masses’ (23 March 2006)
• ‘Before Chopin’ (20 April 2006)