Elisabeth Gutjahr is rector of the University Mozarteum in Salzburg. Gutjahr spent her childhood in Bonn and Geneva, two cosmopolitan cities that shaped her development.
After completing her studies (rhythm and music theory) in Stuttgart and Cologne, Elisabeth Gutjahr was appointed professor at the State University of Music Trossingen in Baden-Württemberg at the age of 26.
The further development of the institution was always of concern to her – in the Senate, the University Council and since 2006 also as Rector, where she was re-elected in 2012 in this function.
In addition, she was involved in the rector conferences, the State Music Council (Presidium), the Education Committee of the German Music Council (Deputy Chairwoman), the Quality Advisory Board of the University of Gutenberg in Mainz and, since 2015, the AEC Council.
Gutjahr contributes to numerous advisory boards at the Musikfreunde Donaueschingen, the Zimmertheater Rottweil 2002 e.V. or regio tv Ravensburg.
The tensions between the score and the performance in music, between the book and the stage in theatre are of particular interest to her. She is also interested in interdisciplinary processes that combine music, theater, dance, language, film and visual art. From an early stage, she focused on text design in the context of music.
Elisabeth Gutjahr has also organized competitions and festivals of contemporary music and has worked as a music dramaturge, choreographer and stage director.
Selected publications:
Elisabeth Gutjahr has written several artistic and music-educational articles such as Der Mythos Kreativität (Verlag Wissenschaft und Bildung, Berlin, 1996) as well as essays on music and concert educational theory, music education, improvisation and creative processes. She has written several radio plays and also the cycle of poems Tractatus logico-poeticus, to which the award-winning audio book Wittgenstein with Klaus Löwitsch refers (commission and cooperation).
Elisabeth Gutjahr is the mastermind behind the lighthouse project of the University Mozarteum and works currently on a series of up to thirty innovative music films entitled “SPOT ON MOZ ART®. This multi-year project invites creatives from all around the world to produce with digital media tools in an original and creative manner music videos, short films, media art, games and much more focussing on the piano sonatas of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.
In case of interest please contact: spotonmozart@moz.ac.at