Jacqueline Waeber

Jacqueline Waeber is an Associate Professor of Music at Duke University's Trinity College of Arts & Sciences. Her research focuses on melodrama in opera and film, French musical aesthetics, and the works of Jean-Jacques Rousseau. She holds a Ph.D. from the University of Geneva (Switzerland, 2002).
Her recent work examines intersections between music and visual media, including analyses of Christopher Nolan's Inception and re-evaluations of Rousseau's theoretical contributions to musicology.

Education:

• Ph.D., University of Geneva, Switzerland (2002)

Research Interests: Explores how musical forms interact with visual and narrative structures, particularly in melodramatic traditions. Specializes in 18th-century French musical thought, film soundtracks, and the philosophical underpinnings of musical aesthetics. Current projects address transmedial storytelling through sound and the evolution of operatic vs. cinematic melodrama.

Publications: Recent articles focus on Inception's soundtrack dynamics, Rousseau's enduring influence, and theoretical frameworks for comparing opera/melodrama. Her work bridges historical musicology with contemporary film studies.

Awards/Grants: No specific awards listed, but affiliated with Duke's Franklin Humanities Institute Audiovisualities Lab (mentioned in news items).