Matthias Wiegandt was born in 1965 in Unna, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. Between 1985 and 1991 he studied musicology, modern German literary history, history, and philosophy at the Albert Ludwig University of Freiburg. In 1991, he earned a master’s degree with a thesis on Brahms‘ Piano Sonata No. 2 in F sharp minor, Op. 2.
Between 1993 and 2001, he was research assistant at the Musicology Department of the University of Freiburg. His 1995 dissertation on the symphony between 1850 and 1875 was published in 1997 under the title Forgotten Symphony?: Studies on Joachim Raff, Carl Reinecke and the Problem of Epigonality in Music (Vergessene Symphonik? Studien zu Joachim Raff, Carl Reinecke und zum Problem der Epigonalität in der Musik). In 2002, he earned his habilitation with a thesis on music in the context of cinematic storytelling. He then worked as senior assistant at the University of Freiburg Musicology Department.
Since the start of the summer semester 2004, Matthias Wiegandt has been a professor at the University of Music Karlsruhe Institute for Music Informatics and Musicology. His scientific work explores the history of composition and interpretation of music from the 19th to 21st centuries, as well as film music, music education, music criticism, and interrelations between the arts. He is the author of essays, broadcasts and CD booklet texts.
Matthias Wiegandt was Vice-Rector for Teaching, Study and Examination Affairs at the Karlsruhe University of Music from 2019 to 2022 and Chairman of the Doctoral and Examination Committee.
Prof. Dr. Matthias Wiegandt has been Rector of the Karlsruhe University of Music since October 2022.