Anna
Beatrice
Gatdula

I write about spectacle, opera, film, and the cultural history of the atomic bomb. I teach music history and cultural studies at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill.

Research

My research triangulates aesthetic theory, cultural history, and technology and science. My current book project Atomic Spectacle: Aesthetic Strategies of the Nuclear Complex traces the cultural history of the atomic bomb in mediations of “spectacle,” including film, television, video games, opera, and performance art. I have presented my research at national meetings of the American Musicological Society and American Studies Association.

My scholarly interests include twentieth-century U.S. and Cold War history, opera and performance studies, critical and media theory, and sound studies. Before moving to North Carolina, I organized with Asian/American community and activist groups in Chicago, IL, and Project Spectrum. I continue creative collaborations with voice, poetry, and performance.

Pedagogy

I teach a number of courses on music, music history, critical theory, and cultural studies. In the classroom, I ask students to listen otherwise—active, inclusive, and accessible learning that connects sound to its social and historical worlds.