Michael P. Steinberg

Michael P. Steinberg is the Barnaby Conrad and Mary Critchfield Keeney Professor of History and Music, and Professor of German Studies at Brown University. He previously served as President of the American Academy in Berlin (2016–2018), founding director of the Cogut Institute for the Humanities (2005–2015), and Vice Provost for the Arts (2015–2016). Educated at Princeton University and the University of Chicago, he also held visiting professorships at Ecole des Hautes Etudes en Sciences Sociales (Paris) and National Tsing-hua University (Taiwan).

Education:

• Princeton University
• University of Chicago

His research focuses on modern German and Austrian cultural history, with special attention to German Jewish intellectual history and music’s role in shaping cultural identity. Key themes include 19th-century music, Wagner’s legacy, and the intersection of art, politics, and national identity.

Recent Work Trends: Recent publications explore topics such as Moses’s cultural afterlife, Wagner’s cultural controversies, and the Salzburg Festival’s ideological foundations. His interdisciplinary approach bridges history, musicology, and Jewish studies.

Awards & Fellowships:

• National Jewish Book Award (2016)
• Victor Adler Staatspreis (2001)
• Guggenheim Fellowship
• ACLS Fellowship
• NEH Fellowship
• Berlin Prize

Advising & Grants: While no formal advisees are listed, his roles in institutional leadership (e.g., Cogut Center) and collaborations (e.g., Wagner’s Ring dramaturgy) highlight his mentorship in cultural projects. Major grants include fellowships from ACLS, NEH, and Guggenheim.

Labs/Teams: Affiliated with Brown’s History and Music departments; serves as director of the Barenboim-Said Foundation (U.S.A.). Curated exhibitions at the German Historical Museum and collaborated on major opera productions.