PROFESSIONAL BACKGROUND

Huib Schippers has benefitted from an uncommon diversity of work experiences across five continents, taking on leadership roles in various formal and informal education settings, in music criticism and events management, in music research, in cultural policy, and in the music industry. This enabled him to gain a rare degree of insight into the relationship between ideas, people and organisations. Holding degrees in English literature and the humanities, he worked at prestigious institutions across three continents: Europe (1986-2003); Australia (2003-2016); and the USA (2016-2022), and held senior positions in numerous national and international professional bodies:

PROFESSIONAL BACKGROUND

Huib Schippers has benefitted from uncommonly diverse work experiences, taking on leadership roles in various formal and informal education settings, in music criticism and events management, in music research, in cultural policy, and in the music industry. This enabled him to gain a rare degree of insight into the relationship between ideas, people and organisations. Holding degrees in English literature and the humanities, he worked at prestigious institutions across three continents: Europe (1986-2003); Australia (2003-2016); and the USA (2016-2022), and held senior positions in numerous national and international professional bodies:

Present & Past Appointments

UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA LOS ANGELES (UCLA)

2022

Herb Alpert School of Music, 445 Charles E Young Dr E, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA

  • UC Regents’ Professor in Ethnomusicology (September – December 2022)

SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION

2016 – 2020

600 Maryland Ave SW, Suite 2001, Washington DC 20024, USA

  • Director and Curator Smithsonian Folkways Recordings (June 2016 – September 2020)
  • Associate Director Smithsonian Centre for Folklife and Cultural Heritage (2016 – 2020)

QUEENSLAND CONSERVATORIUM GRIFFITH UNIVERSITY, BRISBANE

2003 – 2016

140 Grey Street, South Brisbane, Queensland 4101, Australia

  • Professor of Music Studies and Research, October 2003 – June 2016
  • Director Queensland Conservatorium Research Centre, October 2003 – April 2015
  • Dean Queensland Conservatorium Griffith University, August 2009 – August 2012

ACADEMY FOR MUSIC AND DANCE (ROTTERDAMS CONSERVATORIUM)

2001 – 2003

Kruisplein 4, Rotterdam, The Netherlands

  • Artistic Director Jazz, Pop & World Music Department, February 2001 – July 2003
  • Part-time teacher Indian sitar, World Music Department, 1995-2000

LOKV, NATIONAL INSTITUTE FOR ARTS EDUCATION, UTRECHT

1993 – 2001

Ganzenmarkt 6, Utrecht, The Netherlands

  • Project manager Cultural Diversity in Arts Education, February 1993 – January 2001

AMSTERDAM MUSIC SCHOOL

1990 – 1997

Bachstraat 5, Amsterdam, The Netherlands

  • Deputy Director. Founder and Head of World Music Department, February 1990 – November 1997

MUSIQUES DU MONDE RECORDS, AMSTERDAM

1986 – 1993

Singel 281, Amsterdam, The Netherlands

  • Manager, later Director/Co-owner, June 1986 – January 1993

Offices in Professional Bodies

2023 – Present

MIRAS Centre for Cultural Sustainability.

Co-founder and Chair of the International Advisory Board.

2017 – Present

International Council for Traditional Music.

Elected Chair, Study Group on Applied Ethnomusicology. Re-elected 2021. National representative The Netherlands.

2017 – 2020

Society for Ethnomusicology.

Elected Member SEM Council.

2003 -2013

Music Council of Australia.

Chair 2012/13; Deputy Chair 2007-2011; Foundation Chair Research Committee 2004-2007; Councillor (World Music) 2003-2013.

2007 – 2010

Sole member for music on ARC Panel Arts & Humanities in first national research assessment exercise ERA after key advisory functions with DEST 2007-2009.

2004 – 2009

President Musicological Society of Australia.

(2008-2009), Chair Queensland Chapter (2004-2007); co-convenor joint 2007 MSA/NZ Conference Islands.

2006 – 2016

Member of International Advisory Board of the World Music & Dance Centre, The Netherlands.

2005 – 2007

Invited member international AEC working group Mundus Musicalis:

EU-funded project to compare tertiary music education across the world.

2005 – 2007

Invited member reference group on research quality and impact of the Council for Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences (CHASS).

2001 – 2005

President of the Board of the World Music Centre Foundation (supporting the establishment of urban WMC campus in the Netherlands).

2000 – 2003

Member Arts Education and Amateur Arts Commission of Netherlands National Arts Council, peak advisory body Dutch Government

1999 – 2003

President of the Board of the Associação do Desenvolvimento de Centro do World Music (aiming to establish a rural campus in Portugal).

1997 – 2003

Advisor to the Prince Claus Fund (for cultural and intellectual exchange with Africa, Asia and Latin America), The Hague, the Netherlands.

1996 – 2002

Chair (2000-2002) and member (1996-2000) of the Community Music Activities Commission of the International Society for Music Education.

2000 – 2001

Invited member and leader of one of three CONNECT research working groups of the Association of European Conservatoires (AEC).

1998 – 2006

Member International Advisory Board of the International Centre for African Music and Dance at the University of Legon, Accra, Ghana

1998

Member of specialist panel ‘Occupation: Musician’, advising the Dutch Government on redefining professional music training

1997 – 1999

Member of the ‘Focus on Africa’ group of the International Society for Music Education (ISME).

1987 – 1997

Board member of the International Society for Arts Research Netherlands

Education & Training

University & Musical Education

 

  • PhD Musicology (Humanities), University of Amsterdam (2004)
  • MA English Language and Literature, University of Amsterdam (1988)
  • BA English Language and Literature, University of Amsterdam (1981)
  • Private sitar tuition from Jamaluddin Bhartiya (1975 -1985)
  • and Ali Akbar Khan (1985 – 1995)

Management Training

Various external and in-service courses, including: Management structures (Zaanse Stichting); Presentation (Adviesbureau Ockeloen); Policy development (Centre for Arts and Media Management); Staff assessment (KPMG/PMTG); Writing business plans (&AEF); Project management (SWP); Communication around major projects (Twijnstra & Gudde); PR and marketing (Van Dantzig & Lichteveld); Marketing, sponsoring, and fundraising (University of Utrecht); Team building (Maximum); Research supervision (GIHE); and Media Training (BBS).