Jonathan Dunsby

Jonathan Dunsby is a Professor of Music Theory at the Eastman School of Music, University of Rochester, where he has been faculty since 2007. He holds a BA (First Class) from Oxford University and a PhD from Leeds University, advised by Alexander Goehr. His academic career includes roles as Head of Department at the University of Reading and Visiting Fellowships at Princeton and Oxford. He is a founding editor of Music Analysis and Life President of the UK Society for Music Analysis.

His research focuses on music theory, analysis, and performance, with particular expertise in 19th- and 20th-century music, including works by Debussy, Schoenberg, and Schumann. Key publications include Making Words Sing: Nineteenth- and Twentieth-Century Song (2004) and co-authored Music Analysis in Theory and Practice (1986). He has supervised numerous PhD students on topics ranging from Schoenberg to Japanese children’s songs.

Award-winning pianist, Dunsby has performed internationally and published on performance studies. His professional activities include keynote addresses, guest lectures globally, and editorial roles. He has held leadership roles in curriculum design, including redeveloping undergraduate and graduate programs at Reading and Eastman.