Dr. Kira Thurman

Biography

Kira Thurman is a highly-sought-after award-winning historian and musicologist, classically trained as a pianist in Vienna, Austria. She earned her Ph.D. in history from the University of Rochester in 2013, with a minor field in musicology from the Eastman School of Music. Thurman's research explores the relationship between music and national identity and the historical and contemporary connections between Central Europe and the Black diaspora. Her book, "Singing Like Germans: Black Musicians in the Land of Bach, Beethoven, and Brahms" (Cornell University Press, 2021), traces the history of Black classical musicians in German-speaking Europe during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. The book has been recognized with numerous awards, including the Marfield Prize and the George Mosse Prize from the American Historical Association. Currently, she is working on a monograph on Black Europe, titled "Pop Empire," which examines the influence of the collapse of European imperialism on popular music industries. In addition to her scholarly work, Thurman actively engages with public scholarship, contributing to outlets such as The New Yorker and NPR, and providing historical consultations for major orchestras. She supports the German Historical Institute in Washington, D.C., and runs a public history website dedicated to the history of Black Central Europe.

Research Interests

Experience