Biography

Dr Michalis Poupazis is a Lecturer in Ethnomusicology and Programme Director for the MA in Ethnomusicology at University College Cork. His research sits at the intersection of ethnomusicology, popular music studies, and Mediterranean diaspora cultures. He is particularly interested in how music is experienced, remembered, and mobilised across contexts of sensory and embodied memory, migration, and cultural resilience.

His current work engages with two distinct yet connected threads: the cultural afterlives of rock balladry--explored through the lens of male emotional subjectivity in Pink Floyd's Comfortably Numb--and the role of traditional music and food practices in rebuilding social bonds in post-conflict Mediterranean settings. His broader interests include theories of narrative, sound and identity, and algorithmic influence on cultural behaviour.

Michalis has conducted ethnographic fieldwork in Mediterranean, and has presented his research at leading international conferences in ethnomusicology and musicology. He is currently developing a major research project on cultural resilience in post-conflict societies, exploring the affective and symbolic work of music and food as vehicles of continuity and healing.

His scholarly writing is known for blending analytical precision with ethnographic depth, always rooted in real-world musical experience. His recent article on Comfortably Numb makes an original contribution to the study of narrative, trauma, and male listening habits in late adolescence, aligning structural analysis with socio-psychological resonance.

Dr Poupazis welcomes supervision in ethnomusicology, popular music studies, music and diaspora, Mediterranean cultural practices, and interdisciplinary music research. He is also interested in mentoring students working at the intersection of music, emotion, memory, and identity.

Research Interests

Books

  Year Publication
(2026) Extending our Senses: Musics, New Spaces, and the Mediterranean Appeal of Cypriot Diaspora.
Poupazis, M. (2026) Extending our Senses: Musics, New Spaces, and the Mediterranean Appeal of Cypriot Diaspora. US: Oxford University Press. [Details]

Book Chapters

Year Publication
(2016) '"An Affirmation of Key Postmodernist Tendencies": Musics, Apolitics, and Placebo Nostalgias Within the Greek-Speaking Diaspora of Birmingham (UK)'
Poupazis, m. (2016) '"An Affirmation of Key Postmodernist Tendencies": Musics, Apolitics, and Placebo Nostalgias Within the Greek-Speaking Diaspora of Birmingham (UK)' In: Power, M., et al (eds). Public and Political Discourses of Migration. London: Rowman & Littlefield. [Details]
(2015) ''Cyprus: A Wedding Without Resi is Like Winter Without Rain''
Poupazis, M. (2015) ''Cyprus: A Wedding Without Resi is Like Winter Without Rain'' In: Sean, W (eds). Ethnomusicologists Cookbook, Vol. 2. New York: Routledge. [Details]
(2014) ''Placebo Nostalgia: The Greek-Cypriot Diaspora in Birmingham, Its Churches, and Limits to Who Can Belong.''
Poupazis, M. (2014) ''Placebo Nostalgia: The Greek-Cypriot Diaspora in Birmingham, Its Churches, and Limits to Who Can Belong.'' In: Halpin, E. et. Al (eds). Diverse Britain. London: Dialogue Society. [Details]

Peer Reviewed Journals

Year Publication
(2025) 'Hüzün and Xenitia in Diaspora: Ibrahim's and Eftihios' Nostalgia'
Poupazis, M. (2025) 'Hüzün and Xenitia in Diaspora: Ibrahim's and Eftihios' Nostalgia'. Ethnomusicology Forum, [Details]
(2025) 'What is this Irishness Within Cypriot Diaspora?'
Poupazis, M. (2025) 'What is this Irishness Within Cypriot Diaspora?'. European Journal Of Cultural Studies, [Details]
(2017) 'Antonis' Wedding: The Moment, The Music and Rites Between Tradition and Modernity in Cyprus'
Poupazis, M. (2017) 'Antonis' Wedding: The Moment, The Music and Rites Between Tradition and Modernity in Cyprus'. Ethnomusicology Ireland, 5 (1):117-132 [ Publisher's Version] [Details]
(2015) ''Sites of Popular Music Heritage: Memories, Histories, Places', edited by Sara Cohen, Robert Knifton, Marion Leonard, Les Roberts'
Poupazis, M. (2015) ''Sites of Popular Music Heritage: Memories, Histories, Places', edited by Sara Cohen, Robert Knifton, Marion Leonard, Les Roberts'. Ethnomusicology Forum, 24 (3):482-484 [Details]
(2014) 'Performing Gender, Place, and Emotion in Music: Global Perspectives, Fiona Magowan and Louise Wrazen (eds)'
Poupazis, M. (2014) 'Performing Gender, Place, and Emotion in Music: Global Perspectives, Fiona Magowan and Louise Wrazen (eds)'. Irish Journal of Anthropology, 17 (1):70-71 [Details]
(2014) 'Music, Culture and Identity in the Muslim World: Performance, Politics and Piety'
Poupazis, M. (2014) 'Music, Culture and Identity in the Muslim World: Performance, Politics and Piety'. Ethnomusicology Forum, 23 (3):454-457 [Details]

Other Journals

  Year Publication
(2016) 'Spéis ICTM/Ireland 2016 Newsletter'
Poupazis, M. (2016) 'Spéis ICTM/Ireland 2016 Newsletter' Spéis - Bulletin for International Council for Traditional Music, Ireland, ICTM/Ireland (2016) . [ Publisher's Version] [Details]

Conference Publications

  Year Publication
(2015) Musicult'15 /Music and Cultural Studies: On Local vs. Universal
Poupazis, M. (2015) From Pentadaktilos' Mountainsides to Birmingham's Xenitia: the Turkish- and Greek-speaking Cypriot Diaspora, and its Common Music-Infused Ties to Homeland . In: Karahasanoğlu, S eds. Musicult'15 /Music and Cultural Studies: On Local vs. Universal İstanbul: DAKAM, , pp.303-324 [Details]

Newsletter

  Year Publication
(2015) State of the Field.
Poupazis, M. (2015) State of the Field. Newsletter [Details]
(2015) IASPM UK/Ireland 2015 Newsletter. [Online], Available: http://www.iaspm.org.uk/.
Poupazis, M. (2015) IASPM UK/Ireland 2015 Newsletter. [Online], Available: http://www.iaspm.org.uk/. Newsletter [Details]
(2014) 'Utopian Ruptures in "Spaghetti Junction": A Cultural Study of Music in The Greek- and Turkish-Cypriot Communities in Birmingham'.
Poupazis, M. (2014) 'Utopian Ruptures in "Spaghetti Junction": A Cultural Study of Music in The Greek- and Turkish-Cypriot Communities in Birmingham'. Newsletter [Details]

Thesis/Dissertation

  Year Publication
(2017) Extending our senses: music, nostalgia, space, artefact and the Mediterranean imaginary among the Greek- and Turkish-speaking Cypriot diaspora in Birmingham (UK).
Poupazis, M. (2017) Extending our senses: music, nostalgia, space, artefact and the Mediterranean imaginary among the Greek- and Turkish-speaking Cypriot diaspora in Birmingham (UK). Cork: Thesis/Dissertation [ Publisher's Version] [Details]
(2013) Nostalgia and Traditional Music in the Greek-Cypriot Diaspora: An Ethnomusicological Study of the Greek-Cypriot Community in Birmingham.
Poupazis, M. (2013) Nostalgia and Traditional Music in the Greek-Cypriot Diaspora: An Ethnomusicological Study of the Greek-Cypriot Community in Birmingham. Durham, UK: Thesis/Dissertation [ Publisher's Version] [Details]

Working Paper

  Year Publication
(2026) Re-Thinking Memory and Place Musically: Constructive Memory and New Spaces in Diaspora.
Poupazis, M. (2026) Re-Thinking Memory and Place Musically: Constructive Memory and New Spaces in Diaspora. Working Paper [Details]
(2026) The Kebab Leitmotif: Muslim Cypriots in Birmingham. Ethnomusicology. (forthcoming 2026).
Poupazis, M. (2026) The Kebab Leitmotif: Muslim Cypriots in Birmingham. Ethnomusicology. (forthcoming 2026). Working Paper [Details]
(2026) The Mediterranean Imaginary of the Cypriot Diaspora. Mediterranean Studies. (forthcoming 2026).
Poupazis, M. (2026) The Mediterranean Imaginary of the Cypriot Diaspora. Mediterranean Studies. (forthcoming 2026). Working Paper [Details]

Honours and Awards

Year Title Awarding Body
2018 Irish Research Council Postdoctoral Fellowship Irish Research Council
2015 Society of Musicology Ireland Award Society of Musicology Ireland
2014 A.G. Leventis Foundation A.G. Leventis Foundation
2013 Celtic Scholar title College of Arts, Celtic Studies and Social Sciences
2013 College of Arts, Celtic Studies and Social Sciences (CACSSS) Excellence Scholarship College of Arts, Celtic Studies and Social Sciences
2013 Fotini Papadopoulou Travel Fund Fotini Papadopoulou Trust
2012 Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC)
2012 Cyprus State Scholarship Foundation Cyprus State Scholarship Foundation
2012 Prize for Best Overall Performance in Music (University of Hull) University of Hull
2010 Cyprus State Scholarship Foundation Cyprus State Scholarship Foundation

Professional Associations

Association Function From / To
ICTM Study Group on Mediterranean Music Studies Member /
International Association for the Study of Popular Music in the UK and Ireland Member /
British Forum of Ethnomusicology & Ethnomusicology Forum Journal Member /
Society for Ethnomusicology Member /
Anthropological Society of Ireland & Irish Journal of Anthropology Member /
The International Council for Traditional Music--International Member /
Society for Musicology in Ireland Member /
The International Council for Traditional Music--Ireland Member /
The Royal Music Association Member /

Committees

Committee Function From / To
UNESCO funded project 'Carnival/Kantadoroi/Mandolin Music', Municipality of Limassol, Cyprus Academic Advisor 2017 / 2020
IASPM UK/Ireland Executive Committee Member and Newsletter Editor 2014 / 2017
CACSSS PhD Forum, University College Cork, Ireland Member 2014 / 2017
Executive Committee Member, Research Officer and Editor of Spéis, ICTM/Ireland Executive Committee Member, Research Officer and Editor of Spéis 2014 / 2020
External Committee Member, Power, Discourse and Society Research Cluster , University of Limerick, Ireland Committee Member 2014 /

Education

Year Institution Qualification Subject
2013 Department of Music, University of Durham, UK. MA Ethnomusicology
2012 Department of Music, University of Hull, UK. BA Popular Music
2017 University College Cork PhD Ethnomusicology
2014 University College Cork Certificate Teaching in HE
2013 University College Cork Certificate Teaching PG

Other Activities

  Description

Member of the Executive Committee and Organising Team, at ICTM Ireland Annual Conference, 25th-26th February 2017, at Maynooth University, Ireland. 

Panel Chair, Music Revival (1.A), at ICTM Ireland Annual Conference, 25th February 2017, at Maynooth University, Ireland.  

Member of the Conference Organising Team, at Thirteenth Annual Plenary Conference of the Society for Musicology in Ireland, 12th-14th June 2015, at University College Cork. 

Panel Chair, Protest songs and mobilization (H1), at Songs of Social Protest: Popular Music and Popular Culture and Power, Discourse and Society Symposium, 1st May 2015, at University of Limerick, Ireland. 

Panel Chair, Diversity, Resistance and Protest (E1). at Songs of Social Protest: Popular Music and Popular Culture and Power, Discourse and Society Symposium, 30th April 2015, at University of Limerick, Ireland. 

Panel Chair (2c) at Worlds of Popular Music, IASPM UK & Ireland Biennial Conference, 13th September 2014, at University College Cork.
 
Member of the Conference Organising Team, at Worlds of Popular Music, IASPM UK & Ireland Biennial Conference, 12th-14th September 2014, at University College Cork.
 
Panel Chair, at In the Frame Conference, 25th April 2014, at Limerick University.

Teaching Interests

Teaching

MU2017 Music in Culture and Society
MU4001 Senior Research Forum
MU6004 Performance Practice
MU6006 Research Project
MU6031 Sound Studies and Musicology
MU6034 Multidisciplinary Debates in Musicology and Ethnomusicology
MU6043 History and Theory of Ethnomusicology 

Past & Current MA Students 

Chara Charalambous 
Anna-Mieke Bishop 
Marina Gonzales Vargas 
Oisin Quigley  

Current Doctoral Students

Wenqiu Chen

Recent Postgraduates

Graduation Year Student Name Institution Degree Type Thesis Title
2025 Oisin Quigley UCC MASTER OF ARTS
2028 Ms. Wenqiu Chen University College Cork PHD Gender and its Roles: A Study in the Stereotypical Feminine Character of Pipa