David Cohen

Dr. David Cohen is a Senior Research Scientist at the Max Planck Institute for Empirical Aesthetics, Department of Music. His career includes roles such as Adjunct Associate Professor at Columbia University (2013–2016), Visiting Professorships at McGill University (2012–2013) and Yale University (2009), and tenure at Harvard (1995–2002) and Tufts Universities. He holds a Ph.D. in Musicology from Brandeis University (1993) and a B.A. in Music (Summa cum Laude) from SUNY Stony Brook (1982).

His research focuses on harmony, consonance/dissonance, polyphony, pre-modern music’s emotional impact, Descartes’ music theory, Pythagoreanism, and the conceptual basis of musical elements. Key projects include the Histories of Music, Mind, and Body research group, exploring cognitive and social mechanisms in musical behavior through historical lenses.

Publications span music theory history, including seminal works on Rameau, Descartes, and Renaissance-Baroque transitions. His 2001 article ‘The Imperfect Seeks Its Perfection’ received the Society for Music Theory’s 2003 Outstanding Publication Award. Current work includes forthcoming studies on Cartesian music cognition and pre-historical music cognition frameworks.

• Research Groups: Histories of Music, Mind, and Body (Max Planck Institute)
• Key Themes: Interdisciplinary music cognition, historical theory reinterpretation, and philosophical influences on music

Dr. Cohen’s academic contributions bridge historical analysis with contemporary cognitive and scientific approaches, positioning him as a leader in musicology’s intersection with empirical aesthetics.