Lisa Nielson is an Anisfield-Wolf Fellow and Lecturer in the Department of Music at Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, USA. . She received her PhD from the University of Maine at Orono, USA and holds a bachelor's and master's degree in music performance and pedagogy.

"A rich exploration of the social and religious contexts of music-making in the medieval Islamic world. Nielson weaves together issues of gender, ethnicity, social class, and religion to provide a readable and accessible survey of the complex interaction of these forces and how they affected musical culture. A recommended read for scholars and students of the medieval Middle East."

• Section I: Musical Culture in the Early Islamic Courts Chapter 1: Music and MusiciansChapter 2: Musicianship and PerformanceChapter 3: Patronage Section II: Representations of Musicianship and Identity Chapter 4: Literary Performance of Music and Reading Musical IdentityChapter 5: Slavery and GenderChapter 6: Ethnos and gens Section III: Diversions of Pleasure Chapter 7: Discomfort and CensureChapter 8: Sama? and Practice Chapter 9: The Politics of Listening

Lisa Nielson is an Anisfield-Wolf Fellow and Lecturer in the Department of Music at Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, USA. . She received her PhD from the University of Maine at Orono, USA and holds a bachelor's and master's degree in music performance and pedagogy.

"A rich exploration of the social and religious contexts of music-making in the medieval Islamic world. Nielson weaves together issues of gender, ethnicity, social class, and religion to provide a readable and accessible survey of the complex interaction of these forces and how they affected musical culture. A recommended read for scholars and students of the medieval Middle East."

• Section I: Musical Culture in the Early Islamic Courts Chapter 1: Music and MusiciansChapter 2: Musicianship and PerformanceChapter 3: Patronage Section II: Representations of Musicianship and Identity Chapter 4: Literary Performance of Music and Reading Musical IdentityChapter 5: Slavery and GenderChapter 6: Ethnos and gens Section III: Diversions of Pleasure Chapter 7: Discomfort and CensureChapter 8: Sama? and Practice Chapter 9: The Politics of Listening

Lisa Nielson is an Anisfield-Wolf Fellow and Lecturer in the Department of Music at Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, USA. . She received her PhD from the University of Maine at Orono, USA and holds a bachelor's and master's degree in music performance and pedagogy.

"A rich exploration of the social and religious contexts of music-making in the medieval Islamic world. Nielson weaves together issues of gender, ethnicity, social class, and religion to provide a readable and accessible survey of the complex interaction of these forces and how they affected musical culture. A recommended read for scholars and students of the medieval Middle East."

• Section I: Musical Culture in the Early Islamic Courts Chapter 1: Music and MusiciansChapter 2: Musicianship and PerformanceChapter 3: Patronage Section II: Representations of Musicianship and Identity Chapter 4: Literary Performance of Music and Reading Musical IdentityChapter 5: Slavery and GenderChapter 6: Ethnos and gens Section III: Diversions of Pleasure Chapter 7: Discomfort and CensureChapter 8: Sama? and Practice Chapter 9: The Politics of Listening