Emile Wennekes

Emile Wennekes is Chair Professor of Musicology: Music and Media, Utrecht University. He obtained his Masters (Drs.) in Musicology in 1991 and a PhD (Dr.) in Humanities from Utrecht University in 1999 with a thesis concerning the Amsterdam Crystal Palace and its place within the phenomenon of world exhibitions. In 2000, Wennekes was named Endowed Professor (for Dutch Music History), and in 2004, Full Professor of Musicology, both at Utrecht University. He has repositioned Utrecht’s Musicology Department (established 1930) within the newly created Media and Culture Studies Department into an internationally acclaimed research institute with, next to the traditional focus on Ancient Music, also an emphasis on Music en Media. From 2006-2011 he was the first Head of School of the Media and Culture Studies department. In 2017, his chair was modified from Musicology: Post-1800 Music History into Musicology: Music and Media, now also officially embracing his main field of research. Wennekes has published on a broad range of subjects which include a biography of the conductor Bernard Haitink (co-published with historian Prof. Dr. Jan Bank), the reception of the music of Bach, Liszt, Mahler and Mozart, music within Second Life, conductor films, Vitaphone shorts, and contemporary music in the Netherlands (including a book co-published with Prof. Dr. Mark Delaere, available in six languages). His latest popular book sketched Dutch musical life of the last century. Wennekes was editor of several periodicals and books, among them Key Notes: Musical Life in the Netherlands; Dutch Journal for Musicology: Muziek & Wetenschap and Een muziekgeschiedenis der Nederlanden. He has published in leading musicological encyclopedias, including The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians and Die Musik in Geschichte und Gegenwart. He contributed chapters in books published by Routlegde, Oxford University Press, Michigan University Press etc. (For more recent publications, see below and the list of publications). Wennekes previously worked as music critic for the Dutch dailies NRC Handelsblad and de Volkskrant, and was artistic advisor and orchestral programmer before intensifying his academic career. He has served as a board member of several societies, and for almost a decade chaired the Royal Society for Music History of the Netherlands (Koninklijke Vereniging voor Nederlandse Muziekgeschiedenis). As a scholar, his present research focuses mainly on two areas: Mediatizing Music and the Remigration of Jewish Musicians. He is currently preparing a book on the first. He has initiated and chairs the Study Group Music and Media (MaM) under the auspices of the International Musicological Society (IMS) and coordinates the annual conferences of MaM (2009: Amsterdam; 2010: Berlin (Humboldt University); 2011: Lisbon (Universidade Nova); 2012: (Turino, Rome); 2013: Ottawa, Ca (Carleton University); 2014: Dijon (Université de Bourgogne); 2015: Vienna (University of Music and Performing Arts); 2016: Stavanger (University of Stavanger); 2017: Tokyo (IMS: Tokyo University of the Arts); 2018: Salamanca (Unversity of Salamanca). Wennekes was also a member of the program committees of the 7th Congress of Music and the Moving Image (New York: NYU Steinhardt, 2012) and the 19th Congress of the International Musicological Society (IMS Rome, 2012), When Jazz Meets Cinema (Bergamo, 2017). Wennekes presented /will be presenting at a great number of conferences, including those of the American Musicological Society (AMS) and the IMS, in New York (CUNY & NYU), Los Angeles (USC), San Francisco (AMS), Ottawa (CU), Hong Kong (HK BaptiU), Stellenbosch (UoS), Berlin (Humboldt U), Bayreuth (UoB; FiMT), Kiel (CAU), Zurich (ZHdK), Monte San Savino (CSOO Luigi Boccherini), London (UoL, IMR), Manchester (Salford U; Royal Northern College of Music), Glasgow (UoG), Cardiff (UoC), Liverpool (UoL) Guildford (UoSurrey), Dublin (Trinity College), Lisbon (UNova), Vienna (UoMusic&PA), Stavanger (UoS), Tokyo (IMS), Lovere.