Juniper Hill

Juniper Hill is Professor and Chair of Ethnomusicology at the Institute for Music Research, Faculty of Philosophy, University of Würzburg. Originally from California, she holds a BA with High Honors in Music and Latin American Studies from Wesleyan University (1998), and an MA and PhD in Ethnomusicology from UCLA (2001, 2005). She is a Henriette Herz Scout of the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation and currently leads the Volkswagen Foundation-supported research project "Learning from Ethnomusicology and Our Neighbors: Musical Heritage, Creativity, and Intercultural Engagement".

Her research interests focus on migration and intercultural engagement, creative agency and development, improvisation and performance practice, music revival and cultural sustainability, music pedagogy, and applied ethnomusicology. Professor Hill's current research examines heritage music practices in Germany, including those of musicians with migration backgrounds and local Franconian folk musicians, exploring how musical traditions are maintained and adapted in new settings.

Her scholarly contributions include the monograph Becoming Creative: Insights from Musicians in a Diverse World and the co-edited volume The Oxford Handbook of Music Revival. Her work demonstrates consistent engagement with questions of creativity, cultural sustainability, and intercultural dialogue across diverse musical contexts.

• Henriette Herz Scout of the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation
• Marie Curie Intra-European Research Fellowship (2012-2013)
• Two Fulbright Fellowships (2011, 2002-2003)
• Alexander von Humboldt Research Fellowship (2007-2008)
• University of California Faculty Fellowship (2005-2006)
• Volkswagen Foundation research project funding

Professor Hill has held teaching positions at University College Cork (2009-2017), University of California (2005-2007), and Pomona College (2006), with research affiliations at University of Cambridge, University of Cape Town, Sibelius Academy, and others. Her teaching repertoire includes courses on theorizing music and culture, ethnographic research methods, world music, improvisation, and American shape note singing. She founded the Cork Sacred Harp Singers community, formed by her former students.

Her current Volkswagen Foundation project uses community-participatory action research methods to collaborate with diverse local musicians in Germany and generate public learning materials, reflecting her commitment to applied ethnomusicology and community engagement.