Laura Stefanescu

Dr Laura Stefanescu is an Honorary Research Fellow and Research Associate at the University of Sheffield’s School of Languages, Arts and Societies, Department of Music. Her work focuses on Renaissance Italian art, particularly musical iconography in religious works, sensorial aspects of art perception, and the interplay between art, theater, and music in Quattrocento Florence. She holds degrees from the University of Bucharest, Université Paris IV Sorbonne, University of Utrecht, and École des hautes études en sciences sociales, completing her PhD at Sheffield under Dr Tim Shephard’s supervision. Her research explores commissioner-artist-viewer dynamics, religious devotion, and performative influences on visual culture. Current projects include ‘Sounding the Bookshelf 1501,’ examining music in Italian printed books.

Her publications include contributions to Music in the Art of Renaissance Italy (2020) and Renaissance Quarterly. Research themes encompass sensory engagement with art, liturgical music imagery, and interdisciplinary approaches to Renaissance cultural practices. She has also contributed to exhibitions like The Museum of Renaissance Music.