Robert Hoskins

Associate Professor in Musicology, Massey Music Editions,
Extramural Programme

MA Cant, PhD Auck

Robert Hoskins devised Massey University’s extramural Bachelor of Arts Music Major: the programme includes classical, popular and jazz studies, along with performance-based courses. He manages the Massey Music Editions, and a series of concerts held at Massey University in Palmerston North.

Robert’s research interests lie in English music of the late 18th century, and aspects of New Zealand music. Publications include three books on Colonial balladry, a book on the 18th-century English theatre composer Samuel Arnold, two volumes (Samuel Arnold’s pseudo-gothic opera The Castle of Andalusia (1781) and Samuel Arnold’s slavery pantomime Obi, or Three Finger’d Jack (1800)) for Music for London Entertainment 1660-1800, an edited volume of Robert Louis Stevenson’s Pacific Writings, and contributions to New Grove, revised New Grove, Studies in Music, Die Musik in Geschichte und Gegenwart, and the 18th-century volume of The Blackwell History of Music in Britain. He is series editor of Massey-Promethean Editions, including the complete works of Larry Pruden in ten volumes, and a multi-volume collection of Douglas Lilburn’s piano music. He has edited numerous works for Artaria Editions, including Samuel Arnold’s Polly (1777), a hitherto unpublished sequel to The Beggar’s Opera and recently recorded on the Naxos label, the complete orchestral music of Samuel Arnold (also recorded by Naxos), a volume of English theatre overtures, the complete chamber music of William Shield, William Shield’s pantomime Omai (1785), written in the wake of Captain Cook’s death in Hawai‘i, and George Butterworth’s Suite for String Quartet. Robert is supervisory editor of numerous projects, including Peter Holman’s edition of Charles Dibdin’s Sadler’s Wells Dialogues, Nathaniel Lew’s edition of Vaughan Williams’s previously unpublished 1906-1907 version of Bunyan’s Pilgrim’s Progress, and Nicholas Cook’s forthcoming performing and facsimile edition of Beethoven’s unfinished sixth piano concerto. 
 
Current projects in preparation include a book of Douglas Lilburn’s writings, Just Like Us, a multi-authored book on New Zealand music, and, with Roger Swearingen, a bilingual edition of Robert Louis Stevenson’s The Bottle Imp. He is editing Thomas Arne’s opera Love in a Village (1762) for Artaria Editions, and Samuel Arnold’s 'creation' oratorio The Hymn of Adam and Eve (1802). Robert is supervisory editor of Nathaniel Lew’s edition of Vaughan Williams’s The Mayor of Casterbridge, and is preparing an edition of Douglas Lilburn’s full-scale choral work Prodigal Country.

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