Leonora Wagner

Leonora Wagner serves as an Adjunct Professor in the Music History Department of Biola University's Conservatory of Music, with prior teaching appointments at the University of Southern California, Pepperdine University, and Pomona College.

Her academic credentials include:

• Ph.D. in Musicology from the University of Southern California (2012)
• M.A. in Music History and Literature from the University of Southern California (2005)
• B.M. in Violin Performance from Biola University (2003)
• B.S. in Mathematics from Biola University (2003)

Dr. Wagner specializes in historical musicology with focused expertise on 17th-century German Lutheran church music, particularly the works of Michael Praetorius and Heinrich Schütz. Her research examines the intersection of sacred music practices and congregational participation during the Reformation era, extending to broader studies of music history, world music cultures, and string pedagogy. She actively contributes to scholarly discourse through affiliations with the American Musicological Society, Society for Seventeenth-Century Music, and International Heinrich Schütz Society.

Her distinguished honors include:

• USC Teaching Fellowship recipient (Spring 2010)
• USC Provost Fellowship recipient (2005-2007)
• Outstanding String Musician of the Year, Biola University (2003)
• Biola Presser Scholar (2001)
• Robert C. Byrd Scholarship recipient (1998-2002)
• National Merit Finalist (1998)

Dr. Wagner maintains extensive teaching experience across multiple institutions, delivering courses in music history surveys, appreciation, global music cultures, and string methods. Complementing her academic work, she operates a private violin studio in Los Angeles County's South Bay region, providing specialized instrumental instruction.