Dr. Morgan Rich, a former visiting assistant professor of musicology at the University of Florida School of Music, was awarded a Postdoctoral Fellowship in the Humanities at Universities and Research Institutes in Germany and the USA.
The fellowship is sponsored by the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation and the Volkswagen Foundation. As one of only five humanities scholars to be awarded this fellowship, Rich will spend a year in Berlin, Germany, to conduct archival research for her book,Theodor Adorno's Narrative of Alban Berg and His Music: Source Study and Analysis.
“It’s incredible. As someone who recently received a Ph.D., you work, and work and work,” she said. “It’s kind of amazing to see your work for many, many years pay off.”
Her book will further elaborate on the dissertation research she conducted about Theodor Adorno at UF.The book examines Adorno, one of the most prominent philosophers and musicologists of the 20th century, and the role learning techniques of music composition played on his philosophies.
This opportunity is significant because it allows Rich to freely conduct fully funded research without any teaching or administrative obligations. Without this opportunity, Rich’s research would have to be conducted on sporadic week-long trips to acquire resources and information. The fellowship allows her to completely focus her efforts on her first book.
Rich has been interested in this topic since her undergraduate years. That interest even led her to study German for a number of years with the intent of aiding in her research.
Originally from the Midwest, Rich said she still feels comfortable and familiar in Germany. Being stationed in Berlin will not only allow her an ease of access to conferences in European cities, but also a chance to continue her hobby: photography.
“Photography has been an amateur hobby since I was old enough to hold a camera,” she said. “I usually keep my camera with me wherever I go. Berlin is a good-looking city, so it’s fun to carry it around.”
