Misako OTA

大田美佐子

AFFILIATION

Graduate School of Human Development and Environment, Kobe University

ACADEMIC FIELD & RESEARCH 

Musicology, Music Cultural History
I am interested in the social texts engraved in music and music activities, and I am researching the dialogue with history that occurs on stage. The beginning of my research career focused on the creations of Kurt Weill (1900–1950), who achieved rare success as a refugee composer and gained appreciation; later, I studied the interrelationship between musical plays and society, as well as their significance in cultural memory, in a variety of genres—from operas to Broadway musicals. In recent years, as a development from the “exile and transboundary” viewpoint in the research on Weill, I have been co-researching the history of music and culture during occupations from the “cross-border and musical cultural history dialog” perspective, while studying different cultures and social backgrounds.

RESEARCH FIELDS

Europe (German- and English-speaking regions), North America, Japan

COMMENTS

One thing I am interested in is the past, present, and future of the society’s involvement in the scene where music works are performed. I have been observing and thinking about changes and persistence under COVID-19 conditions. The history of music and culture has been regarded as a field that also links with cultural anthropology and education. I have found this opportunity to work with you in the cultural anthropology and ethnomusicology study group to be very stimulating, and I am very excited to have dialogs with you.

MAJOR WORKS

RELATED WEBSITE

Photographs and captions related to my research