Fiona Richards is Senior Lecturer at the Open University (OU). She read music at Durham University, followed by a postgraduate year as a bassoonist at the National Centre for Orchestral Studies. Freelance orchestral and teaching work was combined with study for an MMus at the University of London, Goldsmiths' College. She subsequently taught on the undergraduate music courses at Goldsmiths and at Kingston University.
In October 1994 she joined the staff of the Open University. Since then she has completed a PhD on Meanings in the Music of John Ireland, and has published The Music of John Ireland (Ashgate, 2000) and The Soundscapes of Australia (Ashgate, 2007). She has also contributed to New Grove II and The New Dictionary of National Biography. Her research interests are based in three main areas: music in Britain in the 20th century, the music of Australia and music and literature.
Her responsibilities within the Arts Faculty are wide-ranging, encompassing interdisciplinary and music modules. She has written materials for A179, AA100, A103, A150, A224, AA314, AA302, AA305, AA317 and A871. Fiona is currently Chair of the new MA in Music and writing for the new Level 1 module, A105 Voices, texts and material culture.
