Michael Wackerbauer

Dr. Michael Wackerbauer is a Researcher at the Institute of Musicology within the Faculty of Philosophy, Arts, History and Social Sciences at the University of Regensburg. Born in Regensburg, he holds dual academic backgrounds in physics (diploma in semiconductor physics) and musicology (doctorate focusing on 19th century chamber music for strings). His academic career has been deeply intertwined with the University of Regensburg since 2000, where he has served in various teaching and research capacities, becoming a permanent scientific assistant at the Institute of Musicology since the winter semester of 2017/18.

Wackerbauer's research interests span musicology with particular focus on 19th and 20th century music, chamber music traditions, historical musical instruments, mechanical music, and the cultural history of music festivals, especially the Donaueschingen Music Festival. His scholarly output reveals a distinctive pattern of engagement with German musical heritage, regional music history (particularly Regensburg), and the intersection of technology and music. His publications demonstrate methodological diversity, ranging from archival research and cataloguing to analytical studies of specific compositions and historical festival programming.

Among his most significant contributions are his extensive work on the Donaueschingen Music Festival archives, his cataloguing of historical musical instruments in Regensburg's museums, and his research on mechanical music and automatons. His scholarly approach combines meticulous archival work with broader cultural analysis, situating specific musical phenomena within their historical and technological contexts. Wackerbauer has also maintained an active presence in music journalism as an editor of the 'neue musikzeitung' since 2002.

His scholarly work has been published through various channels including monographs with ConBrio and Hans Schneider Verlag, contributions to the 'Regensburger Studien zur Musikgeschichte' series, and articles in journals such as Musiktheorie, Die Tonkunst, and Die Musikforschung. He has also co-edited significant volumes including the 2023 special issue 'Mensch - Musik - Maschine' on Johann Nepomuk Mälzel and the 2021 memorial volume 'Musik und Wissenschaft' for Wolfgang Horn.

Beyond his academic pursuits, Wackerbauer has maintained a practical connection to music through his long-term artistic activity as a cellist, performing at the Regensburg Theater from 1997-2008 in symphony concerts, opera productions, and musical theater. He was also a co-founder of the Regensburg music magazine 'Mälzels Magazin' in 1998, demonstrating his commitment to both scholarly and public-facing music discourse.