Katherine Axtell

Dr. Katherine Axtell is an Instructor of Musicology at the School of Music, James Madison University. She holds a Ph.D. and M.A. in Musicology from the Eastman School of Music (University of Rochester) and a B.A. in Music from Whitman College. Her research focuses on American musical theater of the early 20th century, with publications in Recent Researches in the Music of the Nineteenth and Twentieth Centuries and a forthcoming article in the Journal of the Society for American Music. She has presented at national Society for American Music conferences and taught courses on musical theater, opera, and women in music at institutions including Eastman School, Nazareth College, and Indiana University.

Her academic work bridges historical analysis of theatrical music, cultural studies, and gender roles in musical performance. Teaching specialties include interdisciplinary approaches to music history and contemporary performance practices.