Barbara Dobretsberger

Barbara Dobretsberger is an Associate Professor (A.o. Univ.-Prof.) of Historical Musicology at the Musicology Department of Mozarteum University. She holds a Dr. phil. and has been affiliated with the university since the 1998/99 academic year, initially in the Department of Conducting, Composition, and Music Theory until 2018/19, before transitioning to her current role. Her expertise spans music analysis, aesthetics, and formal theory. She authored two textbooks on instrumental and vocal forms and has held visiting professorships globally.

Education:

• Artistic/pedagogical studies (piano) and graduation in musicology/German philology (Salzburg/Vienna)
• Diploma thesis: Dissolution of functional harmony in Romantic/Impressionist piano music (Mozarteum University)
• Second diploma thesis: Aesthetics of piano song between tonality/atonality (University of Salzburg)
• Doctoral thesis: Bogusław Schaeffer's symphonic work (University of Vienna)
• Habilitation thesis: Boulez's Premier/Deuxième Sonate and structuralist thinking (2003)

Research & Engagement: Her work bridges analytical methodologies with pedagogical practice. She focuses on 19th-20th century music, particularly transitions in tonal systems and avant-garde compositional techniques. Active in university governance, international reviewing, and jury duties across Europe, Asia, and Africa.

Labs/Teams: No dedicated lab mentioned, but contributes to institutional initiatives like the Mozart:um research platform and Data-Arts-Forum at Mozarteum University.