Dr Katie Bank
Bio
I am a Leverhulme Early Career Fellow in the Department of History at the University of Birmingham researching the intersection of music and visual culture in early modern England. My research reflects an interdisciplinary attention to the role of music and music making within the intellectual history of early modern England, particularly music's intersection with natural philosophy, the passions, and concepts of sense perception. I have published articles in journals such as Early Music, Arts Journal, Renaissance Studies, and The Hakluyt Society Journal, and have also published my first book, Knowledge Building in Early Modern English Music (Routledge, 2021).
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I have been awarded grants from the Leverhulme Trust, the National Endowment for the Humanities (USA), the AHRC, Arts Council England, and the British Academy. I collaborate regularly with galleries as well as professional and amateur choral ensembles. I also sing a lot.
Selected Fellowships and Awards
Arts Council England National Lottery Project Grant
£28,636 grant for 'Reasons to Sing' education outreach project celebrating the 2023 anniversary of the death of William Byrd as well as other research-led performance activities in conjunction with ensembles Stile Antico and Horizon Voices.
Leverhulme Early Career Fellowship - University of Birmingham
Three-year postdoctoral research fellowship (£37,000/year for 4 years) to work on my own project and second monograph: Musical-Visual Culture in Early Modern England.
The Hakluyt Society Essay Prize
Won the Society's annual essay prize competition including £1,000 and society membership.
Long-term Fellow – The Newberry Library, Chicago, IL
Awarded 9-month National Endowment for the Humanities fellowship ($37,800/£30,000) to pursue archival research at the Newberry Library as a residential long-term fellow.
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AHRC Collaborative Skills Development Award - Courtauld Institute
‘Renaissance Art & Music: the space between’ - AHRC-funded Collaborative Skills Development award (£3,000) for co-study of art history and musicology.
Teaching and Supervision
I believe that the development of critical thinking is the crux of humanities study, both within the university and for society at large, and that diversity and inclusivity enrich our community.
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I have taught undergraduates and/or postgraduates on music, history and literature topics at the University of Oxford (Magdalen, Lady Margaret Hall, Oriel, Somerville, Exeter/St Hughs), University of Birmingham, UCL (MA in Early Modern Exchange), and Royal Holloway, with guest lectures at University of Surrey, Imperial College, and De Paul University. I am a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (FHEA).
Media & Consultancy
I have delivered pre-concert talks and appeared on radio and podcasts, including BBC Radio 4 Sunday Worship. I am available for historical consultancy on the following topics:
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- English renaissance composers
- Music and reformation
- Music and art in Tudor England
- Classical music administration, education, and outreach
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I also take commissions to write programme and CD liner notes. For example, The Sixteen Masters of Imitation and Choral Pilgrimage.
Education
2016 - Doctor of Philosophy, Royal Holloway University of London
Musicology
2012 - Master of Music, King's College London (Distinction)
Musicology
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2007 - Master of Teaching, University of Southern California
Master's degree in music education and state school teaching qualification from Rossier School of Education.
2005 - Bachelor of Arts, Bowdoin College
Double major in history and music with a minor in English literature.