Adam was the Global Winner in the Music, Film & Theatre category in 2020.

Since he was awarded, Adam has graduated from Monash University with a Bachelor of Arts (History major and Literature minor) and a Bachelor of Music (Clarinet Performance major).

He is currently completing a Master of Music in Musicology at The University of Melbourne.

What are you doing now and what has happened since the award?

I am currently in my second year of a Master of Music in Musicology at The University of Melbourne. I have been privileged to be mentored by brilliant and supportive academics over the last few years who have led me to many enriching experiences.

Since the award, I have worked as a research assistant in Musicology, Ethnomusicology, and Jewish History, and I currently tutor undergraduate Music History. I have presented at several conferences, including the Musicological Society of Australia—where I received Third Prize in the Graduate Student Paper Awards—and the Society for American Music. I have gained editorial experience as a committee member on a peer-reviewed journal, and I am at work preparing an article for publication.

Last year, I had the good fortune of being a judge in the Global Undergraduate Awards, which I found to be rewarding and stimulating. I have also maintained my interest in freelance writing; I have written several concert program notes and have published on topics including Australian First Nations history.

Where do your interests lie?

My academic interests lie at the intersection of modern history, music, and literature. I am drawn to questions of cultural and intellectual history, representation, memory, and reception. In recent years I have become interested in researching transnationally; my current Masters project examines the centenary reception of German composer Johannes Brahms in the United States around 1933.

Professionally, I am interested in roles that use communication and research skills in both academic and public settings. I find it fulfilling when I can see my individual work, however modest, contributing to something larger, either by adding to a scholarly conversation or by engaging with a social cause.

In my free time, I enjoy reading, playing the clarinet, cooking, and keeping fit.

What do you like the most about what you do?

I like the ability to immerse myself in topics that I find meaningful and interesting and to work towards making contributions to academic literature.

Depending on the topic, I am motivated to look for scholarly oversights, to challenge orthodox opinions, and to approach old questions from new perspectives. The reward of the finished product is what keeps me coming back for more.

Has receiving an award for your hard work helped?

Receiving the award has helped me in a number of ways. It has boosted my resume and, I believe, helped me to gain research jobs over the last two years.

Winning the award while in hard lockdown was also a welcome respite from a generally draining year; meeting fellow winners, entrants, and organisers at the Summit, even if virtually, gave me a renewed sense of community and a fresh burst of optimism about academic research.

Why should students submit their work?

The programme is a fantastic opportunity to network internationally, to learn about insightful student work across disciplines, and to receive recognition for your work in a way that is often hard to come by in university settings. Nobody enters expecting to win, but you don’t know what doors it may open until you try.