Grace Cross

Grace Cross is undertaking her third year of doctoral research in performance science under the supervision of Professor Williamon, Dr. Terry Clark, and Dr. Anna Détári. She is also a studentship award holder at the London Arts and Humanities Partnership. Her research explores how advanced performers make sense of and contextualise their memories and feelings related to performance. How confident one feels to perform is known as self-efficacy. It is considered a filter through which practice and effort translates into performance action. Previous research emphasises the importance of self-efficacy to performance quality. However, comparatively little research has investigated how this perception is reasoned by individuals. Cross' work provides a platform for performers to delve into this cognitive process in the safe environment of the RCM's performance simulators. By learning directly from performers, this research aims to lay the foundation for future practices through which performers may exert agency over the beliefs that influence their performance.

Alongside her research, Cross is a classical harpist performing in London and Kansas City in the US. Her previous musical training was under the instruction of Yolanda Kondonassis at the Cleveland Institute of Music, where she earned her BM and MM with high honours. Not only is her musical background the basis for which Cross developed her research endeavours, but her performance is part of a radical interdisciplinary facet of her current studies. Alongside learning from performers of all crafts across London, part of Cross' research design encompasses a deep exploration of her own self-efficacy process within her contemporary-focused performance practice. This symbiosis of research and practice provides a bridge between psychological theory and the application of performance science.

Cross’ passion for the harp began as a four-year debate with her dad about whether to pursue lessons. She prevailed shortly before her ninth birthday.