David Trippett

Professor David Trippett is a musicologist and cultural historian at the University of Cambridge's Faculty of Music, where he holds the academic rank of Professor and serves as Chair of the Faculty Board. He also acts as Director of Studies in Music at Christ's College, Cambridge. His work bridges musicology with intellectual history, technology studies, and the humanities, focusing particularly on 19th-century German thought, Richard Wagner, Franz Liszt, and digital musical creativity.

His research has been supported by a European Research Council (ERC) Starting Grant (2015–2021) exploring 'Sound and Materialism in the 19th Century.' This project investigated the intersection of scientific materialism and romantic idealism, producing over 40 publications and fostering collaborations with postdoctoral researchers including Edward Gillin, Melle Kromhout, Melissa van Drie, and Stephanie Probst. He also completed a critical edition of Franz Liszt's opera Sardanapalo, which premiered in 2018 and was recorded in 2019 to critical acclaim.

Professor Trippett’s research interests span interdisciplinary domains:

• 19th-century intellectual & scientific thought
• Wagner’s compositional philosophy
• Liszt’s operatic fragments
• Posthumanism and digital creativity
• Music’s role in transhumanist discourse
• Material culture in operatic production

His awards include the Lewis Lockwood Award, Alfred Einstein Award, Bruno Nettl Prize, Donald Tovey Memorial Prize, Deems Taylor Award, and Philip Leverhulme Prize in History. These honors reflect his contributions to musicology, interdisciplinary research, and scholarly editions.

His grant-funded projects and advising activities have produced significant outputs:

• ERC project generated 6 books, 23 chapters, 20 articles
• Hosted international conferences on music and science
• Guided postdoctoral teams in materialist musicology
• Encourages PhD applications in his research areas

Current research includes a book on 'Sound and Virtuality,' examining 360-degree audio environments and posthumanist listening concepts. He also explores digital inequalities affecting global music access and the philosophical implications of prosthetic hearing technologies.