Anna Gawboy

Anna Gawboy is an Associate Professor and Area Coordinator of Music Theory at the Ohio State University School of Music. She specializes in interdisciplinary research at the intersection of music theory, cultural history, multimedia, and pedagogy. Her work bridges music with fields like Slavic studies, religious studies, and theater/performance studies. She holds a PhD from Yale University (2010) and has held academic positions at The Ohio State University since 2010 and The College of St. Scholastica (2002–2003).

Her research focuses on visualized music, esotericism, and avant-garde practices. Notable projects include reconstructing Alexander Scriabin’s Prometheus, Poem of Fire with lighting designer Justin Townsend, and creating multimedia accompaniments for Carl Orff’s Carmina Burana. She is also a leading figure in music theory pedagogy, authoring over 200 video tutorials and co-founding SMT-V (first videocast journal in music) and Engaging Students: Essays in Music Pedagogy.

Her current book project, Vibrational Metaphysics and the Making of Musical Modernism, explores metaphysical concepts in early 20th-century music. Gawboy has held leadership roles in professional organizations, including serving as President of Music Theory Midwest and on the Executive Board of the Society for Music Theory.