intro
Music doctoral student and 2025–26 HRI Graduate Fellow Kirsten Barker explores how music, storytelling, and ideas of “wilderness” shape our understanding of Antarctica. In her research, “Max of the Antarctic: Stories of ‘Wilderness’ in Music and Word,” Barker examines the work of composer Peter Maxwell Davies and the cultural, environmental, and historical narratives embedded in music inspired by the southernmost continent. Read the full feature at the Humanities Research Institute Blog to learn more about her research and fellowship experience.