Peter J. Schmelz

Peter J. Schmelz is a Professor in the Department of Comparative Thought and Literature at Johns Hopkins University's Krieger School of Arts & Sciences. His research bridges musicology with interdisciplinary studies, focusing on 20th–21st century music, Soviet/post-Soviet culture, and the intersection of music with politics, identity, and authoritarianism. He holds significant editorial roles, including co-editing Indiana University Press's East European Music Studies and former editorship of the Journal of Musicology.

His research explores music's role in Cold War contexts, postcolonial approaches to Soviet spaces, and experimental music in the USSR. Awards include Guggenheim, NEH, and Fulbright fellowships. Current projects include books on Ukrainian music, Sylvestrov's writings, and Soviet experimental music in the 1980s. His work emphasizes music's social agency in mediating resistance and coexistence under oppressive regimes.