Ulrike Wohlwender

Ulrike Wohlwender serves as Professor of Piano Pedagogy at the State University of Music and Performing Arts Stuttgart since 2010. A founding member of the Zurich Center for Musicians' Hands (2009) and leader of the SIRIUS 6.0 initiative (2020), she bridges artistic practice, scientific research, and pedagogical innovation in musician health and piano education.

Her educational foundation includes a double degree in Piano and Elementary Music Pedagogy from Mannheim, studying under Prof. Helmut Vogel (piano), Prof. Maria Rebhahn (EMP), and Prof. Barbara Fry (KA piano). Early influences include Basel music experiences and Jugend musiziert competitions.

Wohlwender's research pioneers intersections of pianistics, music physiology, and musicians' medicine. She investigates skilled performance mechanics, sound balance, and musculoskeletal injury prevention—particularly through ergonomic solutions like SIRIUS 6.0's adaptive piano design. Her work emphasizes physiological well-being for diverse hand sizes and abilities, transforming traditional pedagogy through scientific validation.

Recent publications reveal evolving focus from foundational methods (1 2 3 PIANO for multihand playing) toward physiological innovation (SIRIUS 6.0 series) and injury prevention (Risky angles). Themes consistently address inclusive design, biomechanical optimization, and evidence-based teaching strategies across 30+ years of scholarship.

She co-founded the Zurich Center for Musicians' Hands (2009), establishing interdisciplinary collaboration between medical and musical professionals. Current leadership of SIRIUS 6.0 drives research into piano design adaptations that accommodate physiological diversity, with international applications in performance science and injury prevention.