About Me

Lydia Wagenknecht (she/her) is a PhD candidate in ethnomusicology at the University of Colorado Boulder. A Fulbright-Hays and Fulbright U.S. Student grantee, her dissertation titled “Conciencias Antárticas: Sound, Climate Change, and Polar Identities in Punta Arenas” examines intersections between climate change and music making in southern Chilean Patagonia. Her broader research interests include voice studies, ecofeminism, decolonial theory, and public ethnomusicology.

A Research Assistant at the American Music Research Center, Wagenknecht works on the NEH-funded “Soundscapes of the People” project in Pueblo, Colorado. She has also served as an Engaged Arts and Humanities Scholar, College of Music Lead Graduate Instructor, Music Senator, and president of the Graduate Musicology Society at CU Boulder. Additionally, she works as Student Relations Officer for Rising Voices in Ethnomusicology. 

An Honors Program alumna, Wagenknecht holds a B.A. in Wide-Range Music Education (Choral/General Music) from Wisconsin Lutheran College. She has taught in a variety of settings from early childhood to university, working to create classroom cultures based on joy and experiential learning. 

In her free time, Wagenknecht serves as a church musician, trains for ultramarathons, and works on her mediocre rock climbing skills with her husband (Austin) and puppy (Panqueque). 

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Name pronunciation: Lydia (lih-dee-uh) Wagenknecht ("wagon connect")