Kati Szego

Kati Szego is a Professor of Ethnomusicology at the School of Music, Memorial University of Newfoundland, where she established the ethnomusicology program in 1995. Her work bridges Hawaiian studies, cultural history, and performance practices through interdisciplinary methodologies.

Education:

• B. Mus. from Queen’s University
• M.A. from University of Hawaii
• PhD. from University of Washington

Professor Szego employs ethnographic, phenomenological, and archival approaches to investigate intercultural musical exchanges, specializing in Hawaiian traditions including choral music, falsetto singing, and yodeling. Her current research reconstructs Queen Lili‘uokalani's opera libretto and examines women's roles in the global ukulele revival, highlighting gender dynamics in contemporary musical movements.

Her recent publications reveal a consistent focus on sensory dimensions of performance and music's role in social transformation, particularly in post-colonial contexts. These works demonstrate interdisciplinary synthesis across ethnomusicology, gender studies, and cultural history to analyze how vocal practices construct identity and community.

Awards:

• Honorable Mention, ICTM 2022 Article Prize

Professor Szego has held significant editorial and organizational leadership roles including General Editor of the Yearbook for Traditional Music (2014-2017), co-chairing the 2022 ICTM World Conference in Lisbon, and serving as Acting Director of the Research Centre for Music, Media & Place (MMaP) during two terms. Her conference organization and editorial work demonstrate sustained commitment to advancing global ethnomusicological discourse.