Emilio Audissino

Associate professor

Department of Media and Journalism Faculty of Arts and Humanities

emilio.audissino@lnu.se

+46 480-44 63 13

Emilio Audissino is a film and media scholar, and a film musicologist. He is the author of The Film Music of John Williams. Reviving Hollywood’s Classical Style (University of Wisconsin Press, 2021, second revised and expanded edition of the 2014 book John Williams’s Film Music), the first book-length study in English on the composer, and the editor of the collection of essays John Williams. Music for Films, Television and the Concert Stage (Brepols, 2018). He has also studied film music beyond the screen, as a repertoire for concert programmes and multimedia events, and has published on this topic Film Music in Concert.

His book Film/Music Analysis. A Film Studies Approach (Palgrave Macmillan, 2017) concerns a method for audiovisual analysis that blends Neoformalism and Gestalt Psychology, and a second edition has been commissioned with a 2025 publication date. He co-edited the volumes Cinema Changes: Incorporations of Jazz in the Film Soundtrack (Brepols, 2019), and The Palgrave Handbook of Music in Comedy Cinema (Palgrave Macmillan 2023) – both with Emile Wennekes (Utrecht University). His current research deals with the cinema of Zucker-Abrahams-Zucker and has already produced the first academic essays on their film and television works.

Education:

PhD, Film Studies - University of Southampton, UK

PhD, History of Visual and Performing Arts - University of Pisa, Italy

MBA, Arts Administration - Bocconi University, Milan, Italy

MA, Cinema Studies - University of Turin, Italy

BA, Arts, Music, and Drama - University of Genoa, Italy

Website: www.emilioaudissino.eu

Full Curriculum Vitae and Publications

Teaching

Media Production

Sound and Music in Audiovisuals

Psychology of Music in Audiovisuals

Screenwriting

Creative Industries

Narration Theories

Representation and Ideology

Film and Media Theory

Textual Analysis of Film and Television

Research

Film Music History and Styles

The Film Music of John Williams

Theories of Sound in Film and Media

Film and Television History

Comedy in Film and Television

Gestalt Psychology and Audiovisual Media

Neoformalist Film Analysis

Horror Cinema

History of US Cinema and Television

History of Italian Cinema and Television

Commissions

2024. Maynooth University, Music Department, Republic of Ireland: external examiner for the PhD thesis ‘Composing America: Patriotism, Mythology, and Piety in the Film Scores of John Williams’ by Conor Power.

2023. University of Nottingham, Humanities, UK: external examiner for the PhD thesis ‘Ennio Morricone’s Film Music in the Western Genre’ by Hugh Benjamin Jacob Maloney.

2023. Peer-reviewing of a film-music book for Routledge.

2022. Filarmonica del Teatro alla Scala, Milan, Italy: commission to write the programme notes for John Williams’s debut concert in Italy, La Scala, Milan, 12 December 2022.

2022. University of Sidney, Arts and Social Sciences, Australia: external examiner for the PhD thesis ‘The Music-Image: Closing the Methodological Gap between Musicology and Film’ by Will Jeffery.

2022. Oxford University Press: commission to write an annotated bibliography on John Williams for the series ‘Oxford Bibliographies’, www.oxfordbibliographies.com

2022. University Press of Mississippi: endorsement for the film-music book Improvising the Score

2021. Consultant for the two John Williams concerts (including the Dutch premiere of the Scherzo and Prelude for Piano and Orchestra) by The North Netherlands Orchestra and Ralph Van Raat, Utrecht and Groningen, 3-4 February 2022.

2021. Decca Records/Universal Music Group: commission to write the booklet for the CD boxset John Williams and the Boston Pops on Philips Records.

2021. Co-organiser and member of the scientific committee of the international conference Italian Film Music, 1950s-1970s: Between Tradition, Innovation, and Internationalisation, Centro Studi Opera Omnia Luigi Boccherini, Lucca, 16-17 October.

2021. Bloomsbury: book proposal review

2020. Miranda journal: peer-reviewer for a journal article.

2020. Palgrave Macmillan: consultancy for plagiarism assessment

2019. Bloomsbury Academic: endorsement for the book Representing Translation. The Representation of Translation and Translators in Contemporary Media

2019. Peer-reviewer for the journal L’avventura. International Journal of Italian Film and Media Landscapes

2019. Syllabus design: commission to write a 45-hour course on film history and production for further-education students (Liceo Scientifico G. P. Vieusseux, Imperia, Italy)

2018-2021. Palgrave Macmillan: Peer-reviewer of multiple manuscripts (Film and Music)

2018. Peer-reviewer, journal article, for the Danish film-studies journal 16:9

2018. Film-Studies member of the Scientific Committee for the 10th Music and Media Meeting, organised by the ‘Music and Media’ (MaM) Study Group of the International Musicological Society and the University of Salamanca, University of Salamanca, Spain, 13-16 June 2018.

2018. The Milan Symphony Orchestra, Italy: Commission to write the programme notes and introduction for the Williams/Spielberg Collaboration concert (5 June).

2017- .Routledge: Peer-reviewer of multiple manuscripts (Film and Music), and consultancy on the new edition of On the Track: A Guide to Contemporary Film Scoring

2017. The Milan Symphony Orchestra, Italy: Commission to write the introductory text to the live-accompanied screening of Raiders of the Lost Ark (28-29 June).

2016-2018. Direction of a Commissioned Research Project. 'John Williams: Music for Film, Television, and Concert Stage': appointed by the 'Centro Studi Opera Omnia Luigi Boccherini' as the designer of a two-year research project and coordinator of an international research team of eighteen scholar working on the diverse aspects of the work of the composer John Williams. The projected outcome has been a collection of essays published by Brepols.

2016. Member of the Scientific Committee for the conference 'When Jazz meets Cinema' (Lovere, BG, Italy, 5-7 May 2017).

2016. Peer Reviewer, journal article, Journal of Musicological Research.

2016. The Milan Symphony Orchestra, Italy: Commission to write the programme notes and introduction for the A Tribute to John Williams concerts (25-28 August).

2016. Royal College of Music, London: external member in a doctoral transfer exam panel. Research project: ‘Paracinematic Programme Music: A Reflection on Musical Narrative from the Composer’s Perspective’ (27 July).

2016. The Milan Symphony Orchestra, Italy: Commission to write the programme notes and introduction, updated with the music from The Force Awakens, for the 'Star Wars: A Musical Journey' concerts (14-17 July). Also invited as a speaker at the pre-concert talk on 14 July.

2015. Cambridge University Press: Consultancy for and revision of an English translation of an Italian article by musicologist Sergio Miceli ('Leone, Morricone and the Italian way to revisionist westerns') for the Cambridge Companion to Film Music, edited by Mervyn Cooke and Fiona Ford.

2015. The Milan Symphony Orchestra, Italy: Commission to write an introductory note to the 'Golden Age of Hollywood' concerts (20-23 August).

2015. The Milan Symphony Orchestra, Italy: Commission to write the programme notes and introduction for the 'Star Wars: A Musical Journey' concerts (3-6 September). Also invited as a speaker at the pre-concert talk on 3 September.

2014. Library of the Congress, Washington D.C., U.S.A.: Commission to write an essay on Star Wars for the 'National Recording Registry': http://www.loc.gov/programs/static/national-recording-preservation-board/documents/Star%20Wars-AUDISSINO.pdf

2012. Radio France Culture, Paris, France: consulted as a John Williams scholar for Alexandre Tylski's radio documentary ‘Steven Spielberg & John Williams – Le mage et le savant’ aired on 17 May.

My research groups

Linnaeus University Centre for Intermedial and Multimodal Studies (IMS) The Linnaeus University Centre for Intermedial and Multimodal Studies (IMS) is an interdisciplinary research centre that takes a…

Publications

Book (Refereed)

Audissino, E. (2021). Film Music in concert : The Pioneering Role of the Boston Pops Orchestra. Cambridge/New York, Cambridge University Press.
Audissino, E. (2021). The Film Music of John Williams : Reviving Hollywood’s Classical Style. Madison, WI, United States, University of Wisconsin Press.
Audissino, E. (2017). Film/Music Analysis : A Film Studies Approach. Basingstoke, Palgrave Macmillan.
Audissino, E. (2014). John Williams's Film Music : 'Jaws,' 'Star Wars,' 'Raiders of the Lost Ark,' and the Return of the Classical Hollywood Music Style. Madison, WI, United States, University of Wisconsin Press.

Book (Other academic)

Audissino, E. (2010). L'infanzia nel cinema di Steven Spielberg. Imperia, Ennepilibri.

Collection (editor) (Refereed)

Audissino, E., Wennekes, E. (2023). The Palgrave Handbook of Music in Comedy Cinema. Cham, Switzerland, Palgrave Macmillan. 792.

Chapter in book (Refereed)

Audissino, E. (2023). From Dionysia to Hollywood : An Introduction to Comedy’s Long (and Bumpy) Road. The Palgrave Handbook of Music in Comedy Cinema. Cham, Palgrave Macmillan. 3-23.
Audissino, E., Huvet, C. (2023). Irony, Comic, and Humour : The Comedic Sides of John Williams. The Palgrave Handbook of Music in Comedy Cinema. Cham, Palgrave Macmillan. 689-706.
Audissino, E. (2022). Police Squad! : The Zucker-Abrahams-Zucker Style VS the Substance of Traditional Television. Substance/Style : Moments in Television. Manchester, UK, Manchester University Press. 178-201.
Audissino, E. (2021). New Hollywood’s “Zany Godards" : A “Shirley” Serious Assessment of Zucker-Abrahams-Zucker. New Wave, New Hollywood : Reassessment, Recovery, and Legacy. New York, Bloomsbury Academic. 79-100.
Audissino, E. (2020). "The Shark Is not Working” – but the Music Is : Scoring a Hit with Jaws. The Jaws Book : New Perspectives on the Classic Summer Blockbuster. Bloomsbury Academic. 65-78.
Audissino, E. (2018). Rediscovering a Film, Revisiting a Film, Damaging a Film : A Musical Comparison of Three DVD Editions of Nosferatu. Music and Sound in Silent Cinema : From the Nickelodeon to The Artist. New York, Routledge. 174-186.
Audissino, E. (2017). John Williams and Contemporary Film Music. Contemporary Film Music : Investigating Cinema Narratives and Composition. Basingstoke, Palgrave Macmillan. 221-236.
Audissino, E. (2016). Gottfried Huppertz's Metropolis : The Acme of “Cinema Music". Today's Sounds for Yesterday's Films : Making Music for Silent Cinema. Basingstoke, Palgrave Macmillan. 45-63.
Audissino, E. (2014). Dubbing as a Formal Interference : Reflections and Examples. Media and Translation : An Interdisciplinary Approach. New York, Bloomsbury Academic. 97-118.

Chapter in book (Other academic)

Audissino, E. (2020). The Function of Mickey-Mousing : A Re-assessment. Sound and Image : Audiovisual Aesthetics and Practices. New York, Taylor & Francis Group. 145-160.
Audissino, E. (2019). Behold the Newest Technological Sensation! With Music! : The Use of Music in the Silent Cinema. Music and the Second Industrial Revolution. Turnhout, Brepols. 429-447.
Audissino, E., Wennekes, E. (2019). Prologue : A Reel Jazz Survey. Cinema Changes : Incorporations of Jazz in the Film Soundtrack. Turnhout, Brepols. ix-xxvi.
Audissino, E. (2019). The Multiform Identity of Jazz in Hollywood : An Assessment through the John Williams Case Study. Cinema Changes : Incorporations of Jazz in the Film Soundtrack. Turnhout, Brepols. 85-97.
Audissino, E. (2019). The Final Girls (2015) as a Video Essay : A Metalinguistic Play with Genre and Gender Conventions. Gender and Contemporary Horror in Film. Bingley, Emerald Group Publishing Limited. 219-235.
Audissino, E., Lehman, F. (2018). John Williams seen from the podium : An Interview with Maestro Keith Lockhart. John Williams : Music for Films, Television, and the Concert Stage. Turnhout, Brepols. 397-408.
Audissino, E. (2018). Introduction : John Williams, Composer. John Williams : Music for Films, Television, and the Concert Stage. Turnhout, Brepols. ix-xxiv.
Audissino, E. (2014). Overruling a Romantic Prejudice : Forms and Formats of Film Music in Concert Programs. Film in Concert : Film Scores and their Relation to Classical Concert Music. Glücksstadt, VWH Verlag. 25-43.
Audissino, E. (2014). Golden Age 2.0 : John Williams and the Revival of the Symphonic Film Score. Film in Concert : Film Scores and their Relation to Classical Concert Music. Glücksstadt, VWH Verlag. 109-123.
Audissino, E. (2014). Film Music and Multimedia : An Immersive Experience and a Throwback to the Past. Jahrbuch immersiver medien 2014. Marburg, Schüren Verlag. 46-56.
Audissino, E. (2013). Hollywood Film Music and Ethnic Diversity. Multicultural America : A Multimedia Encyclopedia. Thousand Oaks, Sage Publications. 1101-1103.
Audissino, E. (2013). Motion Pictures. Multicultural America : A Multimedia Encyclopedia. Thousand Oaks, Sage Publications. 1492-1496.
Audissino, E. (2013). The Aesthetic Cost of Marketing : The Economical Motivation of Pop Songs in Films. Pratiques et esthétiques : Le coût et la gratuité. Tome 3. Paris, L'Harmattan. 41-46.

Article, review/survey (Refereed)

Audissino, E. (2023). John Williams. Oxford Bibliographies Online, Cinema and Media Studies. New York, Oxford University Press.
Status: Published

Article, review/survey (Other academic)

Audissino, E. (2018). Innovation and Tensions : Italian Cinema and Media in a Global World, First International Conference, Journal of Italian Cinema and Media Studies. Journal of Italian Cinema and Media Studies. Bristol, Intellect Ltd.. 6 (1). 123-127.
Status: Published

Article, review/survey (Other (popular science, discussion, etc.))

Audissino, E. (2018). John Williams e Star Wars : “Torniamo all’antico e sarà un progresso”. Musica. Milan, Zecchini. (297). 46-51.
Status: Published
Audissino, E. (2011). ''Se l'avventura ha un nome, questo dev'essere John Williams.'' : Le musiche di Tintin. Filmcritica. (620). 518-526.
Status: Published

Article, book review (Other academic)

Audissino, E. (2018). Review of Angela Ida De Benedictis’s La musica alla radio 1924-1954. Storia, effetti, contesti in prospettiva europea. Journal of Italian Cinema and Media Studies. Bristol, Intellect Ltd.. 6 (3). 432-433.
Status: Published

Conference paper (Other academic)

Audissino, E. (2020). Salvaging a Film and Reviving the Tradition : The Historic Role of John Williams’s Jaws Score. .
Audissino, E. (2020). Teaching Cinema, Music, and Film Music with Star Wars. .
Audissino, E. (2019). Sound-logos, Olympics, Presidents, and Other Celebrations : When John Williams Scores for the Mass Media. Sounds of Mass Media: Music in Journalism and Propaganda : Program with abstracts.
Audissino, E. (2019). The “Spatial Perceptive Function” of Film Music : When Music Tells You What and Where to Look. Mapping Spaces, Sounding Places. Geographies of Sound in Audiovisual Media : Cremona, 19-22 March 2019.
Audissino, E. (2019). 2 Broke Girls: Flattening Kat Dennings into Max Black : Screenwriting and Character Complexity in the Sitcom Format. .
Audissino, E. (2018). The Agency of Music in Audiovisual Artefacts : A Gestalt-based Approach. 10th Conference of the International Musicological Society, Study Group ‘Music and Media’, University of Salamanca, Spain, 13-16 June 2018.
Audissino, E. (2018). The Importance of John Williams. .
Audissino, E. (2018). Episodes and Real Rob : Celebrities at Their Worst.. 4th International Celebrity Studies Conference ‘Desecrating Celebrities’, Università La Sapienza, Rome, Italy, 27-29 June 2018.
Audissino, E. (2017). Bringing The Nanny to the Italian Audience : Dubbing as Adaptation and Assimilation. First conference of the Journal for Italian Cinema and Media Studies, American University of Rome, Italy, 9-10 June 2017.
Audissino, E. (2017). Jazz, Hollywood Cinema, and John Williams. International conference: When jazz meets cinema : Lovere, Auditorium di Villa Milesi 5-7 May 2017.
Audissino, E. (2017). Zucker-Abrahams-Zucker : New Hollywood's “Zany Godards”. .
Audissino, E. (2016). Film Music in Concert : The Case of the Boston Pops Orchestra. Society forAmerican Music : Forty-Second Annual Conference. 42-42.
Audissino, E. (2015). Archival Research and the Study of the Concert Presentations of Film Music. Audio-Visual Archives conference, the British Library, London, 18 July 2015.
Audissino, E. (2015). The "Ancrage" Effect of Film on Music in Film-Music Concert Pieces. Listening Cinematically conference, Royal Holloway : University of London, Egham, 25-26 June 2015.
Audissino, E. (2014). Creative Energy without Creative Industry : Mario Bava. NECS (European Network for Cinema and Media Studies) conference, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Milan, Italy, 21 June 2014.
Audissino, E. (2014). Building an Emotive Framework : The Macro-Emotive Function of Film Music. Music for Audio-Visual Media' conference, University of Leeds, U.K., 4-6 September 2014.
Audissino, E. (2014). Orchestrating a Prejudice : European Misunderstanding of the Use of Orchestrators in Hollywood. 9th MaMI (Music and the Moving Image) conference, New York University, Steinhardt School of Music, New York, U.S.A., 31 May 2014.
Audissino, E. (2014). When the Score Tells More : Music and Connotations in Raiders of the Lost Ark. 20th SERCIA Conference 'Movies and Music: National and Transnational Approaches'. Radboud University, Nijmegen, Netherlands, 18-20 September 2014.
Audissino, E. (2013). Il cinema è la morte al lavoro [Cinema Is Death at Work]. International conference 'Immagini della morte' [Images of Death], University of Pisa, Italy, 19 April 2013.
Audissino, E. (2012). John Williams, The Boston Pops Orchestra and Film Music in Concert. Cinema, critique des images. 230-235.
Audissino, E. (2011). John Williams, Star Wars, and the Canonization of Hollywood Film Music. Il Canone Cinematografico/The Film Canon. 273-278.
Audissino, E. (2011). Émigrés and Hollywood Film Music : The Cases of Max Steiner's Casablanca and Erich Wolfgang Korngold's The Adventures of Robin Hood. .
Audissino, E. (2010). The Meaning of Flight in Steven Spielberg's Films. 11th International Conference 'Da Ulisse a... Il viaggio aereo tra fantasia e realtà' [From Ulysses To... Air Travelling between Fantasy and Reality], University of Genoa, Imperia, Italy, 7-9 October 2010.
Audissino, E. (2009). Il cinema, l'automobile e la morte al lavoro [Cinema, Cars and Death at Work]. 10th International Conference 'Da Ulisse a... Il viaggio in auto: mito e attualità' [From Ulysses To... Car Travelling: Myth and Contemporaneity], University of Genoa, Imperia, Italy, 1-3 October 2009.

Other (Other (popular science, discussion, etc.))

Audissino, E. (2018). Earl Wild and American Popular Music. London, Piano Classics.