PROFILE
Suzanne Wijsman
Started at UWA: 1997
Improving the health and performance of musicians and students
I enjoy collaborating with colleagues from other fields to form interdisciplinary perspectives on a question or idea. This has yielded rich rewards in various projects, from research on musicians’ health to the study of musical iconography in medieval Hebrew manuscripts.Suzanne Wijsman
Suzanne Wijsman is a lauded performer, cello and music teacher, and researcher of music and musicians across all eras. Associate Professor Wijsman has performed and toured extensively across the globe, including in the United States, Australia and Europe. She has received many awards for her performances and is a dedicated music educator at the UWA Conservatorium of Music.
Research projects by Associate Professor Wijsman are multidisciplinary and include topics such as music and sound in medieval manuscript iconography, musicology and performance-as-research, through to musicians’ performance health. Her work has previously been funded by a Worldwide Universities Network Research Development Fund Grant, a UWA Research Collaboration Award, and a UWA Pathfinder Funding/U Sydney CDIP Fund.
Associate Professor Wijsman is an affiliated researcher with the Australian Music and Art Research Group (UTasmania) and is a member of the following groups: Performing Arts Medicine Association (US), Australian Society for Performing Arts Healthcare, Australian and New Zealand Association for Medieval & Early Modern Studies, Musicological Society of Australia and the Australian Strings Association.
Qualifications:
- BMus, Oberlin Conservatory of Music
- BA (Hons), Oberlin College
- MA, University of Michigan
- MMus, Eastman School of Music
- DMA, Eastman School of Music
Lead Chief Investigator, Musicians’ Performance Health Education: A Translational Approach, UWA Research Collaboration Award Project, 2017-2018
Educating Australian Musicians: Are we playing it safe? Health Promotion International, 2018
Uncovering the Oppenheimer Siddur, Heritage Science, 2018
News
Online course to help musicians around the world
An online learning program, developed by UWA Associate Professor Suzanne Wijsman to educate musicians about occupational health and optimising their performance through healthy practice, has received funding to develop a commercial version for musicians and music schools around Australia.
Read moreMusician intrigued by little people of the book
The chance discovery of a tiny 15th century manuscript nine years ago has changed the direction of Associate Professor Wijsman’s research. Associate Professor Wijsman recently spent two months at Oxford University as a visiting scholar, developing her interdisciplinary work in musicology, Jewish studies and art history.
Read moreProjects
Sound Performers: An international e-health educational solution for musicians
Developing an expert-designed, evidence-based, online health education course for musicians and making this globally accessible.
Musicians’ Performance Health Education:
A Translational Approach
Forging an Australian/Canadian collaboration to address occupational injuries in musicians by focusing on primary prevention interventions and the effectiveness of these.
View other projects
Research hubs
Centre for Medieval and Early Modern Studies
This centre promotes excellence in all aspects of research into the pre-modern world and its modern afterlife. Its primary research mission is to create new models of collaborative interdisciplinary enquiry within this broad field.
Read moreCallaway Sound Studies Centre
The Callaway Centre is an international research centre based in the UWA Conservatorium of Music. The centre houses impressive archival collections and undertakes research projects focusing on music in everyday life, music education, ethnomusicology and Australian music.
Read moreTeaching
Associate Professor Wijsman’s teaching varies from one-on-one instrumental lessons, lecture-style classes, research seminars and workshop-style tutorials.
Cello students of hers have pursued postgraduate study in Australia, Europe and North America at some of the world's most prestigious music schools.
They have gained employment as teachers or performers in Australia and overseas with internationally renowned music ensembles, such as the Amsterdam Baroque Orchestra, Les Arts Florissants, the Academy of Ancient Music, the Bournemouth Symphony, London Philharmonia and the Australian Brandenburg Orchestra.
Associate Professor Wijsman teaches in the following degrees:
Supervisor opportunities
Associate Professor Wijsman has supervised postgraduate and honours students to successful completion on topics such as:
- historical performance
- musicians’ health
- music education and pedagogy
- music performance
- musicology
She is especially fulfilled by seeing students she has taught and mentored achieve standards of international excellence in performance and research. Associate Professor Wijsman welcomes expressions of interest from prospective doctoral students, especially in the areas of music medicine, music performance, music pedagogy and iconography. To enquire about PhD opportunities with Associate Professor Wijsman, get in touch using the contact details below.