Kate van Orden

Kate van Orden is the Dwight P. Robinson, Jr. Professor of Music and Director of Graduate Studies in the Department of Music at Harvard University’s Faculty of Arts and Sciences. A scholar of historical musicology, her work bridges cultural history, book history, and musicological inquiry, with a focus on early modern Europe (particularly France and Italy) and popular music of the 16th and 20th centuries.

Her research emphasizes cultural mobility, migration, and the role of music in shaping identity. She has pioneered studies on polyglot singing, music in foreign communities, and the intersection of historical performance and scholarship. As President of the International Musicological Society (2022–2027) and Editor-in-Chief of Oxford Bibliographies in Music, she leads major academic initiatives.

• Ph.D., Music History and Theory, University of Chicago (1996)
• Studied music in The Netherlands

Her publications, including award-winning monographs and edited volumes, explore music’s material culture, authorship, and global connections. Recent talks address internationalism in musicology and AI’s impact on multilingual conferencing.

Kate van Orden’s scholarly contributions have earned numerous accolades, including the American Musicological Society’s H. Colin Slim Award (2023), the Society for Renaissance Studies Book Award (2015), and France’s Medal of Honor from Tours (2016). She has held prestigious fellowships at the American Academy in Rome, I Tatti, and Stanford Humanities Center.

A skilled performer on historical bassoon, she has collaborated with ensembles like Les Arts Florissants, Tafelmusik, and Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra. Her performance of Michel Corrette’s Les délices de la solitude (2006) and reconstruction of Louis XIII’s equestrian ballet (2000) highlight her commitment to embodying historical practices.