The research department “Musicology” considers itself the foremost non-university institution for its discipline in Austria. All projects share a focus on the transmission and history of music in Austria and those cultural areas with which the present region of Austria has been closely connected for centuries. This focus is pursued through three main research areas: Composers & Editions, Documentation & Source Studies, and Lexicography & Contextualization.
The methodological spectrum encompasses work-centred philological approaches and their application in music and text editions, techniques of Digital Musicology, and inter- and transdisciplinary approaches in the history of science, musical iconography, and the study of audiovisual media. Aligning with the general objectives of the Austrian Academy of Sciences, the Department of Musicology also aims to engage a broader public. Through lecture recitals and open access output in particular, it reaches a wider audience both within and outside the scientific community.
Over the years, numerous digital resources have emerged from individual projects. These resources include research platforms, editions, work catalogues, lexica, source inventories, and other databases. In collaboration with the research unit DH Research & Infrastructure, the department develops sustainable solutions for standardization and reuse.