Arne Spohr

Arne Spohr is a Professor of Musicology at Bowling Green State University's College of Musical Arts and Director of the BGSU Early Music Ensemble. He holds a PhD from the Hochschule für Musik Köln and has taught at institutions including the Madison Early Music Festival. His research focuses on early modern European music, cultural transfer, race, and sound studies. Spohr’s work spans publications in leading journals like the Journal of the American Musicological Society and Journal for Seventeenth-Century Music, as well as monographs and edited volumes. His current projects include a book on concealed music in early modern pleasure houses and a critical edition of Vicente Lusitano’s motets. He serves as President of the American Musicological Society, Midwest Chapter.

Research emphasizes intersections of music with power, identity, and space, notably exploring Black musicians in early modern Europe and Anglo-German musical exchanges around 1600. His articles analyze colonial soundscapes, court ceremonial, and the careers of musicians during the Thirty Years’ War. Grants include support from the ACLS, DAAD, and Herzog August Bibliothek Wolfenbüttel.

Teaching includes courses on music history, performance practice, and global dimensions of Western music. He performs as a recorder player with ensembles like Salutaris and has won national competitions in Germany. His academic leadership extends to editorial roles and international collaborations, positioning him as a leading scholar in early modern music studies.