The ICREA researcher David R. M. Irving is awarded the prestigious Dent Medal 2026.

The Royal Musical Association has awarded David R. M. Irving, an ICREA Research Professor at the CSIC’s Milà i Fontanals Institute for Research in the Humanities, the 2026 Dent Medal, an award presented annually to individuals who have distinguished themselves through their career and contributions in the field of musicology.

Irving studied at Griffith University, the University of Queensland and the University of Cambridge (where he obtained his PhD in 2007). He subsequently held postdoctoral positions at Christ’s College, Cambridge, and King’s College London; he then taught at the University of Nottingham, the Australian National University and the University of Melbourne, and has held his current post as ICREA Research Professor since 2019.

Irving has made significant contributions to the study of music and colonialism, the global history of music, and the role of music in intercultural encounters during the Early Modern period. He has also made significant contributions to the history of the early music movement, focusing on its global dimensions. He is a professional Baroque violinist and has collaborated with early music ensembles; he currently chairs the ‘Global History of Music’ Study Group of the International Society for Musicology.

Visit the website of the Dent Medal here.