Linda Phyllis Austern

Linda Phyllis Austern is a Professor of Musicology at Northwestern University and an affiliated faculty member of the Gender and Sexuality Studies program. She holds a PhD from the University of Chicago and focuses on interdisciplinary research at the intersections of music, gender, sexuality, and early modern cultural history.

• Education: PhD, University of Chicago

Her research explores music’s role in shaping and reflecting gender and sexual identities in early modern England, with additional interests in theater, visual arts, and the histories of science and medicine. Recent publications highlight collaborations, such as the co-edited volume Beyond Boundaries, and analyses of musical symbolism in erotic contexts and courtly settings.

Austern’s scholarly work reveals trends in interdisciplinary approaches to early modern music, emphasizing its connections to broader cultural narratives. She teaches courses like Gender, Sexuality & Music and Women Rock, bridging musicology with contemporary social themes.