We are thrilled to announce that Ph.D. candidate Travis Whaley has been awarded the Irene Alm Memorial Prize by the Society for Seventeenth-Century Music (SSCM) for his paper “The Coexistence of Organ Tablature and Thoroughbass in the Seventeenth Century.” This prestigious award recognizes the best student presentation at the SSCM’s annual spring conference.
Named in honor of Irene Alm, a founding member of SSCM and an influential scholar of seventeenth-century theatrical and dance music, the prize has been awarded annually since 2001. It celebrates excellence in student scholarship and supports the recipient’s participation in the following year’s SSCM conference. Whaley will receive a $1,500 grant to cover travel, lodging, and conference expenses for 2026.
Whaley’s winning paper explores the parallel use of organ tablature and thoroughbass notation in the seventeenth century—a period marked by rich experimentation in musical notation and performance practice. His work contributes to our understanding of how musicians navigated overlapping systems of notation and sheds light on broader questions about transmission, pedagogy, and the development of keyboard technique during the early modern period and beyond.
We congratulate Travis on this well-deserved recognition and look forward to seeing how his innovative research continues to shape the field!
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