Professor Alexandra Amati

Alexandra Amati

Professor

Faculty Emeritus
Socials

Biography

Alexandra is a musicologist specializing in the Italian Renaissance, especially the madrigal, Italian opera, Feminist criticism, Romantic piano music, and German Baroque choral music. She holds a laurea (BA/MA equivalent) in Slavic Studies and Philology from the University of Pisa (Italy) and both a Masters and a PhD in musicology from Harvard University. She has published and read papers on Renaissance, operatic, and gender related topics in several journals and conferences. She is now working on a book about the presentation and treatment of women in opera, as seen through a few settings of the Orpheus myth, tentatively titled Euridice: The Evolution of the Mythical and Musical Other. She has been, or is, on several committees of the American Musicological Society, and on several Boards of Directors such as the San Francisco Bach Choir, the Lycée Français de San Francisco, the Harvard Club of San Francisco, and others. She is a professional program annotator and pre-concert lecturer for many Bay Area organizations, including the San Francisco Symphony, the San Francisco Opera, the San Francisco Bach Choir, and others.

Expertise

  • Madrigal
  • Italian opera
  • Feminist criticism
  • Romantic piano music
  • German Baroque choral music

Research Areas

  • Madrigal
  • Italian opera
  • Feminist criticism
  • Romantic piano music
  • German Baroque choral music
  • Renaissance
  • Gender-related topics
  • Presentation and treatment of women in opera

Appointments

  • Program Coordinator, Music

Education

  • Laurea (BA/MA equivalent) in Slavic Studies & Philology from the University of Pisa (Italy)
  • Masters in Musicology from Harvard University
  • PhD in Musicology from Harvard University

Prior Experience

  • American Musicological Society committee member
  • San Francisco Bach Choir board member, program annotator and pre-concert lecturer
  • Lycée Français de San Francisco board member
  • Harvard Club of San Francisco board member and president
  • San Francisco Symphony program annotator and pre-concert lecturer
  • San Francisco Opera program annotator and pre-concert lecturer