Dr. Marc Hannaford

Biography

Marc Hannaford is a music theorist whose research interests lie at the intersection of jazz improvisation, identity (particularly concerning race, gender, and disability), and performance. He was awarded the Emerging Scholar Award by the Society for Music Theory for his article, 'Fugitive Music Theory: George Russell’s Theory of Tonality,' in 2023. Hannaford received the Henry Russel Award in 2025, the highest accolade for early to mid-career scholars at the University of Michigan. His current book project examines the genealogy of music theory developed by African American musicians in the twentieth century. He completed his PhD at Columbia University in 2019, with a dissertation focused on Muhal Richard Abrams, a pivotal figure in the Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians (AACM). His publications have appeared in renowned journals such as Music Theory Online, Music Theory Spectrum, Women & Music, and others. As a committed pedagogue, he assists students in developing personal engagements with music through critical exploration across various approaches, including theoretical, analytical, historical, and creative. Hannaford offers courses on jazz, twentieth-century music, improvisation, and performance while also teaching core music theory. In addition to being an improvising pianist, composer, and electronic musician, he has performed and recorded with notable artists like Tim Berne and Ingrid Laubrock. He is also a founding member of the Engaged Music Theory Working Group.

Research Interests

Experience