Professor Dr. Kira Thurman

Biography

Kira Thurman is an award-winning historian and musicologist known for her expertise in Central European music history and its intersection with national identity and the Black diaspora. A classically-trained pianist, she earned her PhD in history from the University of Rochester with a minor in musicology from the Eastman School of Music. Kira’s research has appeared in reputable journals such as the German Studies Review and the American Historical Review, focusing on the relationship between music and national identity. Her notable publication, 'Singing Like Germans: Black Musicians in the Land of Bach, Beethoven, and Brahms,' traces the history of Black classical musicians in German-speaking Europe during the 19th and 20th centuries and has been praised as one of the most original works in classical music history in recent years. Thurman actively engages with the public through various media, including contributions to the New Yorker and PBS documentaries. She is also involved in initiatives that promote public history through the German Historical Institute in Washington, D.C.

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