Thomas J. Mathiesen

Thomas J. Mathiesen is Distinguished Professor and David H. Jacobs Chair in Music at Indiana University. He received his D.M.A. from the University of Southern California in 1971.

His research interests encompass the history of music and music theory in the ancient world and the Middle Ages, textual criticism, bibliography, and the music for silent films. He is the author of Apollo’s Lyre: Greek Music and Music Theory in Antiquity and the Middle Ages (University of Nebraska Press, 1999), Greek Views of Music (Norton, 1997), Ancient Greek Music Theory: A Catalogue raisonné of Manuscripts RISM B/XI (Henle, 1988), Aristides Quintilianus on Music in Three Books: Translation, with Introduction, Commentary, and Annotations (Yale UP, 1983). Among the volumes he has edited are Thesaurus musicarum latinarum: Canon of Data Files (University of Nebraska Press, 1999), (with Andreas Giger) Music in the Mirror: Reflections on the History of Music Theory and Literature for the 21st Century (University of Nebraska Press, 2002), and (with Benito Rivera) Festa musicologica: Essays in Honor of George J. Buelow (Pendragon Press, 1995). He is also the general editor of Greek and Latin Music Theory, 11 vols. (University of Nebraska Press, 1982-2004) and Studies in the History of Music Theory and Literature, 4 vols. to date (University of Illinois Press, 2006– ). In 1990 Mr. Mathiesen founded the Thesaurus Musicarum Latinarum (www.chmtl.indiana.edu/tml/), a six-million-word full-text database of Latin music theory, serving as its director until 2009.

Articles and reviews by Mr. Mathiesen have appeared in such distinguished publications as Die Musik in Geschichte und Gegenwart, 2d ed.; The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians, 2d ed.; Oxford Companion to Music; Cambridge History of Western Music Theory; Acta musicological; American Journal of Archaeology; Bryn Mawr Classical Review; Early Music; Imago musicae; Indiana Theory Review; Journal of Musicology; Journal of Music Theory; Music and Letters; Music Theory Spectrum; Speculum; and various Festschriften and conference reports.

Mr. Mathiesen’s honors include election in 2001 as Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, and fellowships and grants from the National Endowment for the Humanities (1985, 1992, and 1994), the Répertoire International des Sources Musicales (1980), the American Council of Learned Societies (1977), and other institutions;  and Kinkeldey (American Musicological Society), Berry (Society for Music Theory), Duckles (Music Library Association), and three Deems Taylor (ASCAP) awards for various publications listed above.