Musicology / Sound Studies

Musicology researches, analyzes and reflects on music in its historical and cultural diversity and views music as an aesthetic, socio-cultural and historical object of study.

The goal of this degree program is to equip students with the ability to perceive musical phenomena in a differentiated manner, to analyze and describe them, and to critically assess and place them in the context of the cultural, social, historical and media conditions of their time and of the current time. Accordingly, we not only research “about” music, but also “through” music—with music presenting a window e.g. to the processes of globalization, industrialization and subjectivization. In addition, students acquire broad knowledge in the area of general music history (including a focus on popular music forms) and historical music theory as well as the rules of harmony and counterpoint.

The focus of this program at the University of Bonn is also influenced by the integration of approaches of Sound Studies, which investigate sound with regard to specific historical media-related, and cultural aspects.

This subject must be combined with a second subject.

Possible lines of work:

Opera/musical theater (e.g. dramaturgy, production assistance), concert establishments, the cultural and creative economy (e.g. music and sound production and distribution, culture and event management), talent agency, media (radio, television, online music portals, etc.), press (music critiques), music publishing (proofreading, editing), music libraries/archives, industry and trade associations, foundations, academia (research management, teaching/research at universities, research institutions, etc.) assuming completion of a master's degree program.