Dr. Salvatore Morra

Biography

Salvatore Morra is a musicologist and guitarist specializing in ethnomusicological perspectives of Arab music. His research primarily engages with interdisciplinary debates surrounding post-colonial nationalism, multiculturalism, and decoloniality, with a particular focus on Tunisia and the Maghreb. He has completed a significant work titled 'Maluf, Suoni dal Mediterraneo Arabo' and his research interests include global histories of music, audiovisual media, and the histories of musical instruments, emphasizing the intersections of sound and space. Morra has extensive experience in ethnographic research, complemented by his non-fiction audio and video work. He worked for five years as the Music Curator for ISMEO - The International Association for Mediterranean and Oriental Studies, promoting research and collaboration in music-related studies across Asia, Africa, and the Mediterranean. Between 2019 and 2022, he established the online seminar 'Oriental Music Conversations' at ISMEO and has been involved in leading projects for the ICTMD Study Group on Mediterranean Music Studies. Morra has recorded albums focusing on classical guitar repertoire and has a longstanding interest in maqams and modal music. After completing his PhD in Music at Royal Holloway, University of London, he held a postdoctoral fellowship at the University of Tuscia in Viterbo, Italy, and currently serves as a Post-Doctoral Research Associate at Trinity Hall College, where he leads a research project on 'Italian Arab Musical Encounters (1860-1960): Sound, Colonisation, Power'.

Research Interests

Experience