Ulrik Volgsten

Ulrik Volgsten is a Professor of Musicology at Örebro University's Academy of Music. His research explores musical communication across media, focusing on Western music history, aesthetics, cognitive science, and affect theory. He has pioneered work on 'affect attunement,' linking music perception to emotional and embodied experiences. Volgsten leads projects like the Swedish Research Council-funded 'Everyday Devices,' examining mediatisation of music (1900-1970). He has held roles from Postdoctoral Fellow (2005) to Docent (2012) before becoming Professor in 2015. His work bridges humanities and natural sciences, emphasizing music's role in social interaction and cultural discourse.

Education: PhD in Musicology from Stockholm University (1999), with a thesis on Frank Zappa and virtual listening. Key academic milestones include postdoctoral research at Gothenburg University and cultural studies roles at Stockholm University.

Research Interests:

• Mediatization of music and sound technologies
• Affect theory and vitality affect
• Copyright law and music ontology
• Historical listening practices (interwar period)

Grants & Projects: Funded by Riksbankens Jubileumsfond, Swedish Arts Council, and European Support for Culture. Current project (with Benedetta Zucconi) explores phonography's impact on music's ephemeral nature in Sweden vs. Italy.

Teaching: Undergraduate/graduate courses on music history, aesthetics, cultural theory, and research methodology. Emphasizes linking his research to pedagogy, fostering student engagement with modern music's societal relevance.

Labs/Groups: Member of ACCLAIM (Aesthetics, Culture and Media), MOVE (Musical Expression and Experience), and Sense Lab (sensory futures research). Supervises doctoral students in topics like Kulning vocal traditions and power dynamics in dance band culture.