David J. Levin

David J. Levin is a Professor at the University of Chicago, holding affiliations in Germanic Studies, Cinema & Media Studies, Theater & Performance Studies, and the College. With a PhD from UC Berkeley (1992), he has taught at UChicago since 1998 and served as Senior Advisor to the Provost for Arts (2018-2023). He previously held a Visiting Professorship at the University of Oslo (2014-2019) and founded the Gray Center for Arts and Inquiry (2011-2016).

• PhD in Germanic Studies, UC Berkeley (1992)
• Teaching at UChicago since 1998
• Visiting Professor, University of Oslo (2014-2019)
• Founding Director, Gray Center for Arts and Inquiry (2011-2016)

His research spans Opera Studies, Theater and Performance, Cinema, and Dance, focusing on the interpretive and political dimensions of staging. He explores Wagner’s dramaturgy, digital reproducibility in opera, and the interplay between immersion and critique. His current book projects examine Wagner’s pedagogical politics and opera’s digital transformation.

The articles he has published reflect a deep engagement with operatic and cinematic modernism, the ethics of adaptation, and the role of the dramaturg in interdisciplinary performance. His work bridges German literature, musicology, and critical theory.

Levin’s editorial and collaborative roles include Executive Editor of The Opera Quarterly (2005-2015), dramaturg positions with German and U.S. opera houses, and collaborations with choreographers like William Forsythe and Saar Magal.