Dr. Margaret Butler

Biography

Margaret Butler's research focuses on European opera and eighteenth-century American musical theater. She is a professor of musicology at the Mead Witter School of Music and an affiliate of the Interdisciplinary Theatre Studies Program. Her recent book, 'Musical Theater and Eighteenth-Century Parma: Entertainment, Sovereignty, Reform', published by the University of Rochester Press in the Eastman Studies in Music series (2019), reflects her scholarly interests. Butler is currently working on a book examining operatic prima donna celebrity culture, a project supported by fellowships from the UW-Madison’s Institute for Research in the Humanities and the AMS-Newberry Library. In 2021, she joined the research team WoVen, an interdisciplinary project focusing on women in eighteenth-century European operatic culture. Her award-winning article, 'Opening Celebrity’s Closet: Cecilia Davies De Bellis Collection', was recognized with the Vladimir Fédorov Award. Butler has published extensively in reputable journals and contributed chapters to significant volumes, including topics on the geography of opera and historical aspects of eighteenth-century music. She actively engages in teaching graduate and undergraduate courses on opera, musical theater, women’s musical activities, and music research methods.

Research Interests