short vita

Siavash Sabetrohani started his music theory at the Conservatorium van Amsterdam and then at the University of Chicago, where he received a PhD in music theory and history with a dissertation on the history of music theory in Berlin in the 18th century.

His dissertation "Music Theory between the Public Sphere and Nationalism in Eighteenth-Century Berlin," traces the origins of the transformation of Berlin from a musical backwater to one of the leading European centers of music in both practice and theory. The project argues that music theory and its entrance into the public sphere, acted as an instrumental agent in propelling ideas of German (cultural) nationalism that fully blossomed in the 19th century. His Dissertation was awarded the SMT-40 Dissertation Fellowship from the Society for Music Theory.

In his teaching practice, he is particularly interested in historical approaches for teaching earlier music. His research interests include the history of music theory, performance practice, partimenti and improvisation, and early recordings.