Institute of Musicology SAS

The Institute of Musicology SAS (Ústav hudobnej vedy SAV, v. v. i.) is a public research institute in Bratislava, Slovakia, and one of the founding workplaces of the Slovak Academy of Sciences. It traces its origins to 1943, when it was established as the Musicological Institute (Hudobnovedný ústav) among the first research workplaces of the Slovak Academy of Sciences and Arts. After the academy was reorganised, the institute was renamed the Institute of Musicology in 1951 and became part of the newly founded Slovak Academy of Sciences in 1953. The institute conducts basic research across the three principal disciplines of musicology: historical musicology, ethnomusicology, and selected areas of systematic musicology. Its work covers the musical culture of Slovak and Central European towns, medieval and early modern manuscript sources, cantors, organists and instrumentalists, and the documentation of folk and traditional music. It is also a publishing house in its own right, issuing the journal Musicologica Slovaca since 1969 and the non-periodical Ethnomusicologicum since 1993, and it has collaborated internationally, including with the Institut für Musikwissenschaft at the University of Hamburg on the journal Systematische Musikwissenschaft / Systematic Musicology. Between 1973 and 1990 the institute temporarily operated as the Musicology Section (Sekcia hudobnej vedy) within the Institute of Research on Art of the Slovak Academy of Sciences, regaining independence in 1990 under its original name. Its directors have included Zdenko Nováček, Jozef Kresánek, Ladislav Burlas, Richard Rybarič, Pavol Polák, Oskár Elschek and Juraj Lexmann; the present director is Hana Urbancová, in office since 2009. As an academy institute, it is state-funded rather than a commercial enterprise, but it functions as a recognisable institutional brand within Slovak and European musicology, known for its journals, source editions and research projects. Its public identity rests on scholarly output, conferences, publications and the maintenance of musicological archives and databases rather than on consumer products.

The Institute of Musicology of the Slovak Academy of Sciences was founded in 1943 under the name Musicological Institute (Hudobnovedný ústav), making it one of the first research workplaces of the Slovak Academy of Sciences and Arts (Slovenská akadémia vied a umení, 1942–1953). In 1951 it was renamed the Institute of Musicology, and when the Slovak Academy of Sciences (Slovenská akadémia vied) was founded in 1953 the institute became one of its founding workplaces. Between 1973 and 1990 the institute temporarily lost its independent status and came under the Institute of Research on Art of the Slovak Academy of Sciences (Umenovedný ústav SAV) as the Musicology Section (Sekcia hudobnej vedy). In 1990 it became independent again and was renewed under its original name, Ústav hudobnej vedy Slovenskej akadémie vied. The institute's directors have shaped its research profile over the decades: Zdenko Nováček (1951–1956), Jozef Kresánek (1956–1964), Ladislav Burlas (1964–1988), Richard Rybarič (1988–1989), Pavol Polák (1989–1990), Oskár Elschek (1990–1997) and Juraj Lexmann (1997–2009). The present director is Hana Urbancová, in office since 2009. Publishing has been central to the institute's identity. In the past it issued the yearly periodical Hudobnovedný sborník (1953–1954, two volumes), continued as Hudobnovedné štúdie (1955–1966, seven volumes). Since 1969 the institute has published the journal Musicologica Slovaca, which appeared between 1992 and 2008 under the extended title Musicologica Slovaca et Europaea and was renewed under its original name in 2010. Since 1993 it has also published the non-periodical Ethnomusicologicum, revue pre etnomuzikológiu a etnochoreológiu. Between 1993 and 2003 the institute collaborated with the Institut für Musikwissenschaft at the University of Hamburg on publishing the international journal Systematische Musikwissenschaft / Systematic Musicology. Today the institute conducts basic research in all three principal disciplines of musicology — historical musicology, ethnomusicology and selected areas of systematic musicology — and remains part of the Slovak Academy of Sciences as a public research institute (v. v. i.).

• 2010

  Musicologica Slovaca renewed under its original name.

• 2009

  Hana Urbancová became director.

• 1993

  Began non-periodical publication of Ethnomusicologicum, revue pre etnomuzikológiu a etnochoreológiu.

• 1993

  Began collaboration with the Institut für Musikwissenschaft, Universität Hamburg, on the journal Systematische Musikwissenschaft / Systematic Musicology (until 2003).

• 1992

  Musicologica Slovaca appeared under the extended title Musicologica Slovaca et Europaea (until 2008).

• 1990

  Regained independence and was renewed under its original name, Ústav hudobnej vedy Slovenskej akadémie vied.

• 1973

  Temporarily placed under the Institute of Research on Art, SAS, as the Musicology Section (until 1990).

• 1969

  Began publishing the journal Musicologica Slovaca.

• 1955

  Publication continued as Hudobnovedné štúdie (1955–1966, seven volumes).

• 1953

  Became one of the founding workplaces of the Slovak Academy of Sciences.

• 1953

  Began publishing the yearly periodical Hudobnovedný sborník (1953–1954, two volumes).

• 1951

  Renamed the Institute of Musicology.

• 1943

  Founded as the Musicological Institute (Hudobnovedný ústav) among the first research workplaces of the Slovak Academy of Sciences and Arts.

A state-funded academy research institute and scholarly publisher in Slovak and Central European musicology.

• Musicologica Slovaca

• Ethnomusicologicum, revue pre etnomuzikológiu a etnochoreológiu

• Hudobnovedný sborník

• Hudobnovedné štúdie

• Systematische Musikwissenschaft / Systematic Musicology

1. 1Ústav hudobnej vedy SAV, v. v. i. – Ústav hudobnej vedy Slovenskej akadémie vieduhv.sav.sk
2. 2History – Ústav hudobnej vedy SAV, v. v. i.uhv.sav.sk
3. 3Institute of Musicology – Wikidatawikidata.org