Rebecca Wolf

Rebecca Wolf is a researcher currently leading the project Materiality of Musical Instruments: New Approaches to a Cultural History of Organology at the Deutsches Museum in Munich. Her work bridges the history of science, material culture, and musicology, focusing on experiments with materials in musical instrument building and the cultural implications of sound. Previously, she held fellowships at the Max Planck Institute for the History of Science (Berlin) and Harvard University's Music Department.

• Academic Rank: Researcher
• Institution: Deutsches Museum, Munich

Wolf’s research explores the intersection of musical craftsmanship and scientific inquiry, particularly during the 19th and 20th centuries. She investigates how materials like bell metal, glass, and early plastics shaped musical instrument capabilities, influenced musicians, and connected to broader scientific trends in acoustics and materials science.

Scientific Awards

• Award of Excellence of the Austrian Ministry for Science and Research

Her publications include studies on musical automata, music in peace and war, and collaborations with institutions like the Digital Humanities Team at the Max Planck Institute. Wolf previously taught musicology in Munich and has contributed to projects such as Music of Metallurgy: Bell Metal for Musical Instruments and The Elements of Sound: Experiments in Musical Instruments, 1830–1950.