Dr Jun Feng

Dr Jun Feng took up a British Academy Postdoctoral Fellowship in Ethnomusicology in the Department of Music in September 2025. She completed her doctoral research at SOAS, titled: “Ritual Music in Contemporary China: Paiziluo Bands and the Changing Village Environment in Hubei Province (China).”

Before coming to SOAS she studied Musicology as an undergraduate and Ethnomusicology for her Master’s degree, both at Central China Normal University (CCNU).

Her British Academy project is called ‘Creative Economies and Female Musicians of Rural China at the Interstices of State Policy.’  This project looks beyond the standard narratives surrounding heritage initiatives in China today to explore alternative forms of creativity arising at the intersections of local cultural practices and national development strategies.

The project turns the lens towards new groups of grassroots musicians, notably women, who are not supported by official channels but who organise themselves into groups (such as brass bands) to perform at community-based celebrations, showing vibrant creative ability and marketing skills. By focusing on the micro-economics of cultural production at the grassroots-level, Jun's research reflects on national and global heritage preservation plans and economic strategies for rural development, offers new insights into gender relations, and generates new definitions of musical creativity.

Jun sits on the coordinating committee of the European Foundation for Chinese Music Research (CHIME), and she is an associate editor for Analytical Approaches to World Music (AAWM).

Jun Feng's research focuses on music and creativity, media and modernity, Intangible Cultural Heritage, and ethnographic film.