EMMA KATE MATTHEWS
Architect, Artist, Composer, Musician, Researcher
"Spare and intense, ... this music is more about timbre and texture than pitch" - Robert Hugill 2021
Emma-Kate (b. 1986) is an architect, composer, musician, and digital artist whose work explores the creative intersections of sonic and spatial practices. She specialises in producing site-specific, spatialised audio-visual projects that investigate creative reciprocities between sonic and spatial practices Her compositions have been performed at internationally renowned venues, including the Sagrada Familia, the Southbank Centre, the Barbican, and the Brighton Festival. Notably, she composed for the London Symphony Orchestra’s prestigious Panufnik residency. As a solo artist, Emma-Kate has released a series of electronic-classical works on acclaimed labels such as Algebra, NMC, Musicity Global, and Accidental. Her music has been broadcast internationally on prominent platforms like BBC Radio 3, Resonance FM, and Tokyo Radio.
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As a researcher and academic, Emma-Kate has contributed to influential publications, including Nature (HSSCOMMS) and Organised Sound (Cambridge University Press). She also served as lead editor for The Routledge Companion to the Sound of Space. Her research has been featured by major outlets like the World Economic Forum, BBC Classical Music Magazine, Clot Magazine, and the Girls Twiddling Knobs podcast, establishing her as a leading voice in the fields of music, architecture, and sound studies. Her projects have earned nominations for prestigious awards, including the Lumen Prize and the Aesthetica Art Prize, and received 'Highly Commended' honors in the Sound of the Year Awards in 2022 and 2023. Her work has been exhibited at esteemed venues, including the Royal Danish Academy, the Royal Institute of British Architects, and York Art Gallery. In addition to her compositional work, Emma-Kate designs and creates her own instruments, known as Resonant Bodies. These innovative instruments explore dynamic relationships between sound and space, crafted using advanced digital modeling and manufacturing techniques. This project was nominated for both the Lumen Prize and the Aesthetica Art Prize in 2022 and was showcased at the Works+Words biennale in Copenhagen that same year. Currently, in collaboration with Copper Sounds, Emma-Kate is blending ancient and modern bell-making techniques to explore how hybrid instrument-manufacturing methods can inspire new musical styles. In 2025, works from this collaboration, along with her Resonant Bodies series, are featured in an exhibition at Make Southwest Gallery, Devon.
Emma-Kate is a lecturer at the Bartlett School of Architecture, where she serves as the Director of Fabrication and Design Collaboration. She also teaches on the MSci Architecture program and conducts research in spatiosonic practice. Additionally, she hosts Hunter Gatherer, an eclectic radio show on RTM.FM every fourth Thursday.
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[PUBLICATIONS + FEATURES]
*May 2025. 'Spatiosonic Cut–Ups: Montage as a Compositional Process.' In Drawing Research Theory Practice 10, no. 1, Intellect Books.
*Jun 2025. 'Resonant Bodies' In Works+Words, edited by Peter Bertram. Copenhagen: AADR – Art Architecture Design Research.
Nov 2024. 'Spatiosonic Dialogues: Exploring Architecture's Role in Music Composition and Performance.' The Routledge Companion to the Sound of Space, ed. EK Matthews, MBurry, JBurry. Routledge. LINK
Nov 2024. 'Introduction' and 'Music and Sound Art' In The Routledge Companion to the Sound of Space, edited by Emma Kate Matthews, Mark Burry, Jane Burry.
Jun 2022 – 'Future Now' – Aesthetica Art Magazine
Mar 2022 – 'Emma–Kate Matthews Unlocks The Architecture of Music' – London Symphony Orchestra Blog LINK
Mar 2022 – 'Meet the Composers' – London Symphony Orchestra blog LINK
Mar 2022 – 'Natural language modelled and printed in 3D: A multi–disciplinary approach' – Nature HSSCOMMS – 1st author with Dr. Alex Pillen, UCL. LINK
Jul 2021 – 'Remote Overlap: Sound and Space' – NMC records discover article LINK
Nov 2019 'Activating Audiences:How Spatial Music Can Help Us To Listen' – Cambridge Uni. Press,Organised Sound Journal LINK
May 2019 'Construction 005: Similis' – for the Musicity Global, Culture Mile London and the Barbican Centre LINK
Mar 2018 'Female Composers, International Women's Day' – Interview with British Music Collection LINK
Jun 2018 'The Art of Window Design and Display: Feature on RSW Grace project' – Published by Sandu (Project: Grace)
Jan 2018 'Window Display – Grace' – published by KONSEPT PROJELER, Istanbul (Project: Grace) LINK
Jun 2017 'British Music Collection – Emma–Kate Matthews on Architectural Influences' – LINK
Jun 2017 'The Architectural Instrumentalist' – Design Ecologies Journal, published by Intellect Books: (Project: The Spatialised Score) LINK
Oct 2014 'Educating Architects' – Neil Spiller – Thames & Hudson Ltd: (Project: The Augmented Instrumentalist) LINK
Sep 2014 'London Design Festival 2014' – Dezeen: (Project: Grace) LINK
Jul 2012 'Royal Academy Awards:Celebrating 30 years'–The Architects' Journal: (Project: The Augmented Instrumentalist) LINK
Jul 2012 'Pews and Perches' Wallpaper* Magazine: (Project: The Whistling Stop) LINK
Jun 2012 'StripHouse' SuckerPUNCH Magazine: (Project: StripHouse) LINK
Mar 2012 'Higher Integration in Morphogenetic Design:AD' Achim Menges John Wiley & Sons(The Augmented Instrumentalist) LINK
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[INVITED TALKS + CONFERENCES]
*03–07 Nov 2025 – 'Computer Music and Multidisciplinary Research'– conference organiser, UCL East, UK
*10–12 Sep 2025 – 'Immersive and 3D Audio' – Keynote speaker, Uni. Bologna, Italy
17 Oct 2024 – 'Sound and Heritage' (panel discussion and talk for 'Historical and Sustainable Architecture' at the New York University
26 Sep 2024 – 'Spatiosonic Dialogues: Exploring Architecture's Role in Music Composition & Performance' at Tetra Tech, international acoustics series, Hore Lea
23 March – 'Resonance is' – presentation for the Research Skills Intercollegiate Network (ReSKiN), at the Courtauld Institute of Art, London.
05 Oct 2023 – 'Architecture and the Ear' – (Panel discussion member at 'Sounds of the Earth') Solus Ceramics, London
22 Sep 2023 – 'Resonant Bodies' – (presenter at 'Createch 2023' conference) Uni. Westminster
15 Jun 2023 – 'Conversations at the edge of the world' – (performer and presenter at 'Everyday is Spatial Conference') Uni. Gloucester
05 April 2022 – 'Opera in Edwardian Baths' – (presenter and organiser for 'Sound Making Space') UCL
23 Apr 2021 – 'Composing for Extreme Spaces' – (presenter at 'World Wide Music Conference') Prague WWMC
08 Sep 2020 – 'Spatial Typologies' – (presenter at 'Royal Music Association 56th Annual Conference') Goldsmiths Uni.
28 Feb 2019 – 'Spatial Typologies in Music Composition + Henry Brant' – (presenter, seminar series) Royal Academy of Music
11 Dec 2019 – 'Composing for The Sagrada Familia' – (organiser + speaker, 'Sound Of Space' symposium) UCL Here East
29 Nov 2019 – 'Spatiosinic Constructs' – (presenter, seminar series) Royal Academy of Music
05 Oct 2019 – 'Calibrating Spatial Typologies' – (presenter, 'Spatiality and Music' conference) Uni. of Arts, Belgrade
15 Jul 2019 – 'Simulation + Sonic Realities' – (respondent, organiser and presenter for interactive event) Max Fordham
19 May 2019 – 'Sound Unbound'– (performance and presentation) Barbican Centre
20 Mar 2019 – 'Implied Rhythms' – (performance) 'New music/new technologies' conference at the Guildhall School of Music
18 Feb 2019 – 'Spatiosonic Constructs' – (conference presentation) PhD conference at the Bartlett School of Architecture
19 May 2019 – 'Similis' (performance/Q and A) for Musicity, Culture Mile London and the Barbican Centre
24 Jan 2019 – 'Construction 003 – Regional/Axial' – (pre–performance talk) Southbank Centre
22 Sep 2018 – 'Activating Audiences'– (presenter/performer) 'New Audiences' conference at Leicester De Montfort Uni.
27 Mar 2018 – 'Sound Space Pecha Kucha' – (organiser/presenter SMS doc.network) Event at the Bartlett, UCL
15 Feb 2018 – 'Keeping Time' – (organiser/respondent SMS doc.network) Event @ the Bartlett with Asaf Sirkis + Kemal Yusuf
07 Dec 2017 – 'Construction 002, Time Making Space' – (organiser/exhibitor/respondent) at the Royal Academy of Arts LDN
24 Jun 2017 – 'Edge to Edge' – (organiser, presenter, composer) Festival of music and movement, Shoreditch Church, London
14 Jun 2017 – 'Generation to Fabrication' – (presenter) Rhino UGM conference, London, UK
20 Apr 2016 – 'Simulation to Fabrication' – (presenter) Presentation at Shape to Fabrication conference, Stratford
16 Sep 2014 – 'Regent Street Windows' – (presenter) RIBA Pecha Kucha event at Apple Store Regent Street, London
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[RECENT AWARDS]
May 2023 – Sound of the Year Awards, Category: Composed with Sound: HIGHLY COMMENDED
Jan 2022 – Aesthetica Art Prize: NOMINATED
May 2022 – Sound of the Year Awards, Category: Most unpleasant sound: HIGHLY COMMENDED
July 2021 – Lumen Prize for Art + Technology, Moving Image Category: NOMINATED (Project: Dreams Again, audiovisual)
Mar 2020 – Mar 2021 – Panufnik Composers' Scheme: AWARDED by the London Symphony Orchestra (Project: Construction 007)
Sep 2019 – Sep 2022 – Doctoral Scholarship: AWARDED by the London Arts & Humanities Partnership (LAHP) / (AHRC) (Project: PhD research)
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[PAST AWARDS]
Dec 2018 – Dec 2019 – Funding for Sound of Space International Symposium: Awarded by Australian Research Council (beneficiary of Profs. M.Burry, J.Burry)
Sep 2017 – Sep 2019 – Doctoral Network Funding: Awarded by UCL for Sound|Making|Space (co–applicant with R.Bernatek)
May 2017 – Sep 2017 – New Voices Portfolio Residency with the London Graduate Orchestra: Awarded by Sound and Music
Sep 2017 – Sep 2019 – Staff award for MPhil/PhD tuition fees: Awarded by the Bartlett School of Architecture, UCL
Sep 2016 – Sep 2017 – Small projects grant for Cassini's Funeral. Awarded by the UK Arts Council (beneficiary of E.Frears)
Jul 2016 – Jul 2017 – Architecture Research Fund – project Dorsal Falls: Awarded by the Bartlett School of Architecture, UCL
Mar 2014 – RIBA: Regent Street Windows (Project: Grace, for Karen Millen)
Jan 2013 – London Festival of Architecture/Groucho Club: Make a Stand Bike Rack (Project: Ribbon Rack)
Mar 2012 – RIBA: Pews and Perches Bench Design and Fabrication (Project: the Whistling stop)
Aug 2012 – ISE: Graduate Engineer's Competition, Shortlisted (Project: Castlemeads Bridge, with Buro Happold)
Jul 2007 – SCALA (now SPACES): Student Travel Bursary (Project: Brixton Railside CPUL)
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[EXHIBITIONS + INSTALLATIONS]
Apr–Jun 2025 – Sound and Silence – an exhibition of contemporary bells, Make Southwest gallery, Devon, UK (Project: Resonant Bodies)
Nov 2022 – Works + Words at the Royal Danish Academy, Copenhagen (Project: Resonant Bodies)
Jun – Aug 2022 – Canary Wharf Summer Lights Festival (Project: Kaleidozones, collaboration with Martin Richman)
Jun – Sep 2022 – Aesthetica Art Prize at York Art Gallery (Project: Far Flung AV)
Apr 2019 – Research as Art / Art as Research at UCL (Project: PhD)
Feb–Mar 2019 – In Permanent Readiness for the Marvellous at The Bartlett (Project: PhD)
Apr 2018 – Research as Art / Art as Research at UCL (Project: PhD)
Dec 2017 – Time Making Space at the Royal Academy of Arts London (Project:The Spatial Instrumentalist/Construction 002)
Dec 2017 – British Music Collection – Graphic Scores (Project: Construction 001)
Jun – Sep 2017 – Harley Open, Harley Gallery, Nottingham (Project: Dorsal Falls)
Jun 2017 – Edge to Edge at Shoreditch Church, London (Project: Dorsal Falls)
Jun – Aug 2016 – The Royal Academy of Arts Summer Exhibition (Project: Dorsal Falls – Sketch for a spatialised score)
Nov 2014 – Stars on Canvas for the Willow Foundation (Project: Grace)
Jun – Aug 2013 – The Royal Academy Summer Exhibition (Project: The Big Egg hunt (with WEA))
Oct –Nov 2012 – RIBA, London, Open Exhibition (Project: The Split Studio)
Jun – Aug 2012 – The Royal Academy Summer Exhibition (Project: The Augmented Instrumentalist)
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[SELECTED PERFORMANCES]
15 March 2024 'After Image' – @LSO Soundhub Showcase (composer) LSO St Luke's, London
14–27 May 2022 'Drift' – @ Witness Stand Brighton Festival (composer / performer) Shoreham–On–Sea shorefront
31 Mar 2022 'A Study of Passing Objects' World Premiere – @ London Symphony Orchestra Panufnik Scheme, (composer) LSO St Lukes/Barbican
24 Jun 2021 'Cloth Wall In Wind' World Premiere – @ Royal Academy of Music 200 pieces (composer), David Josefowitz Recital Hall
15 Feb 2020 'Construction 003 – V3' – @ Soundhub Showcase, by the London Symphony Orchestra (composer), LSO St Luke's, London
19 Dec 2019 'Modest Proposals' – @ JEMP experimental music festival (performing bass for Ben McDonnell), Swiss Church, London
19 May 2019 'Construction 005' – @ Sound Unbound Festival (composer), for Musicity Global, Barbican Centre, London
20 Mar 2019 'Construction 004' – @ Getting it Right Conference (composer) for Guildhall School of Music, London
24 Jan 2019 'Construction 003 – V2' – @ Gala Concert (composer) for London City Orchestra at Southbank Centre, London
22 Sep 2018 – 'Construction 003 – V1' – (performer) 'New Music for New Audiences' conference at Leicester De Montfort Uni.
02 Aug 2018 'DIAS: East of the Active' – @ EP launch event (composer, musician) at DIY Space, London
16 Dec 2017 'Construction 002' – @ Private concert (composer, researcher) with Aus Research Council, Sagrada Familia, Barcelona
07 Dec 2017 'Construction 002' – @ Time Making Space Event (organiser, composer, exhibitor, respondent) Royal Academy of Arts
13 Sep 2017 'Construction 001' – @ Site–specific performance (composer) for London Graduate Orchestra, Shoreditch Church
24 Jun 2017 'Construction 000 – Dorsal Falls' – @ Edge to Edge Festival (organiser, composer, presenter) Shoreditch Church, London
16 Dec 2016 'Rise' – @ Building opening (composer) for 5–piece student choral group, 22 Gordon Street, UCL, London
29 Jan 2015 'Plexus Open Field' – @ Plexus Experimental (performer:electronics, composer) Hampstead Road, London
27 Jun 2015 'Station to Station' – @ Boredoms Concert (performer:drums) Barbican Concert Hall, London
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[CURRENT EMPLOYMENT]
Sep 2015 – Present – The Bartlett School of Architecture, UCL: [Senior lecturer (research)]
Jul 2023 – Present – Price & Myers Geometrics Group [Freelance for Remote Studio]
Sep 2012 – Present – EKM Works (London) – [Founder, Architect, Musician, Artist, Composer, Researcher]
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[PAST EMPLOYMENT]
Sep 2019 – Sept 2022 – Oxford Brookes University – [Associate Lecturer, Unit J Lead Tutor]
Sep 2016 – Sept 2022 – Weber Industries (London) – [Architect, Senior Designer, Fabricator]
Sep 2013 – Aug 2016 – Geometrics Group at Price & Myers (London) – [Architect]
Sep 2014 – Aug 2015 – University of Greenwich – [Visiting Critic, Unit 7]
Nov 2014 – Aug 2015 – University of Kent – [Technical Tutor for Masters Architecture, Unit 4]
Sep 2008 – Sep 2013 – Wilkinson Eyre Architects (London) – [Architectural Assistant]
Dec 2011 – Feb 2012 – Sixteen*(Makers) (London) – [Freelance Production Assistant for '55/02']
Jun 2007 – Sep 2007 – Marsh:Grochowski Architects (Nottingham) – [Architectural Assistant]
Jun 2006 – Sep 2006 – Groundworks Architects (Nottingham) – [Architectural Assistant]
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[EDUCATION]
Sep 2017 – Present – MPhil/PhD Architecture: In progress: The Bartlett School of Architecture, UCL (submitted March 2025)
Feb 2013 – Oct 2013 – RIBA Part 3, Examination in Professional Practice: London Metropolitan University (Merit)
Sep 2009 – Jun 2011 – RIBA Part 2, DipArch & MArch The Bartlett School of Architecture, UCL (Distinction)
Aug 2005 – Jun 2008 – RIBA PArt 1, BArch: The University of Nottingham (First Class, with Honours)
Aug 2004 – Jun 2005 – Art Foundation Degree: Nottingham College (Distinction)
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[MEMBERSHIPS]
Sep 2024 – Present – UK Acoustics Network - (Associate Member)
Oct 2017 – Present – London Symphony Orchestra Soundhub – (Associate Member + Panufnik Composer)
Jun 2017 – Sep 2023 – Sound|Making|Space Doctoral Network – (Coordinator, Researcher, Respondent, Presenter)
Jun 2017 – Sep 2017 – London Graduate Orchestra, portfolio residency with 'Sound and Music' – (Composer in Residence)
Oct 2013 – Present – Chartered Architect at the Royal Institute of British Architects
Oct 2013 – Present – Architect with the Architects' Registration Board
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[MUSICAL RELEASES]
Feb 2025 'Conversations at the Edge of the World' – (composer) released as part of 'Composed with Sounds' by Accidental Records LINK
Aug 2024 'Perfect Cyan Bright Square' – (composer) released as part of 'Antechamber Music 3' by Accidental Records LINK
Nov 2023 'Raindrop Counter' – EKM single release (composer) for Sounds of the Earth – released by Island Farm Studio Records LINK
Dec 2022 'Cloth Wind in Wall' – (composer) commissioned and released by Royal Academy of Music for 'RAM 200 Pieces' LINK
Jun 2022 'Instead of Points' – (composer) re–released as part of NMC records' 'The Great Lockdown Survey' LINK
Oct 2021 'Far Flung Remixes' – EKM remix album (composer) – released on Algebra records LINK
Jul 2021 'Six Degrees of Separation' – compilation featuring mixed ensemble piece 'Remote Overlap' (composer) – released on NMC records LINK
Nov 2020 'Far Flung EP' – EKM solo album release: (composer, performer, vocals, drums, bass, electronics, piano) LINK
Oct 2020 'More Colours Remix' – EKM remix for Rob Shields: (composer, performer) – released on Algebra records LINK
Aug 2020 'Twenty – Music for Piano' compilation featuring solo Piano piece 'Instead of Points' released as part of a compilation (composer) – LINK
Mar 2020 'Pressed, Pressing' – EKM solo EP release: (composer, performer, vocals, drums, bass, electronics, piano) LINK
May 2019 'Similis' – solo track release: (composer, performer, clarinet, drums, bass, electronics, ) released by Musicity Global LINK
Aug 2018 'East of the Active' – EP release as DIAS: (experimental music collaboration) – released on Algebra Records LINK
Dec 2015 'Pt.1 (6:1) + 6:2' – EKM – solo album release: (composer, performer, vocals, drums, bass, electronics, piano) LINK
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[MEDIA LINKS​]
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https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3781-7500
http://britishmusiccollection.org.uk/composer/emma-kate-matthews
http://soundcloud.com/ekmworks