Alessandri Elena HSLU M

Prof. Dr. Elena Alessandri Elena Alessandri

Head of CC Music Performance Research

Alessandri Elena HSLU M

Lucerne School of Music

Room 3. OG
Arsenalstrasse 28a
6010 Kriens


CC Music Performance Research MPR

Head of CC Music Performance Research

+41 41 249 26 42

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Biography

Elena Alessandri is the Head of the Competence Centre for Music Performance Research at the Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts – School of Music. She earned her PhD at the Royal College of Music in London with a study on the perception and evaluation of musical performances in professional music criticism, partially funded by the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF) and the State Secretariat for Education, Research and Innovation (SERI). Previously, she completed a master's degree in music education and a piano diploma in Italy. She has worked as a pianist and music educator in Italy, Austria, and Switzerland.

Her current main focus is on the assessment, preservation, and promotion of musicians' health, with an emphasis on developing a holistic health culture ("Culture of Care") at music universities. To this end, she launched the research program "Empowering Musicians" in 2019, which contributes to the promotion of successful and sustainable music careers through specific research and development projects. The conscious management of one's own and others' resources is integratively understood as part of the competence profile of musicians, and the traditional understanding and concept of ‘success’ is questioned and expanded with the perspective of sustainability.

Projects

Research projects

  • Kooperationsprojekt Artistic Research 2025
  • Music, Movement, Mood and Parkinson's
  • Erweiterte Kompetenzprofile im Kunstbereich («Kunstkompetenzen P-11 MER»)
  • Exploring the effects of room acoustics on the physical and psychological health of musicians.
  • Research Led or Research Based? Gesundheitskompetenzen im Musikbereich
  • HeLP ME - Health Literacy and Practices for Musicians Empowerment
  • Der Einfluss von Bass und Schlagzeug auf das Groove-Empfinden in der Populärmusik
  • Applicability of the "CMD-Schmerz-Screener" to music students and professional musicians (MusicMAP)
  • ITC – Nukleus Glarus
  • Audiovisuelle touristische Marketingkommunikation in Social Media
  • Das Luzerner Orgelbuch
  • Traits & States: Cross-sectional studies on music students’ health and wellbeing
  • Irène Schweizer Biographie, englische Ausgabe
  • PrüfungsApp
  • IDS Music Learning Spaces
  • Schule für Klappentrompete – Klassiktrompete
  • Musikalische Strukturanalyse als «Data Mining» – Harmonische Modelle in der Popmusik
  • Between Producers and Consumers: Music Critics' Role in the Classical Music Market
  • Music rehearsal rooms – Acoustic solutions through room classification
  • Music Performance Assessment: Processes and Criteria
  • Evaluating Recorded Performance: Towards a general model of performance critique
  • LARA: Lucerne Audio Recording Analyzer
  • Evaluating recorded performance: An investigation of music criticism through Gramophone reviews of Beethoven’s piano sonata recordings
  • Performing Space – Perception from Practice room to Concert Hall

Publications and presentations

Publications and presentations - Article, review; peer reviewed

  • Rose, Dawn; Burland, Karen; Blackstone, Kate & Alessandri, Elena (27.07.2024). Investigating the health and wellbeing of music students: Perspectives from schools of music in Switzerland and the UK. International journal of music education: the official journal of the International Society for Music Education, 2024, doi: https://doi.org/10.1177/025576142412627
  • Senn, Olivier; Bechtold, Toni Amadeus; Hoesl, Florian; Jerjen, Raphael; Kilchenmann, Lorenz; Rose, Dawn; Baldassarre, Antonio; Sigrist, Carlo & Alessandri, Elena (2023). An SEM Approach to Validating the Psychological Model of Musical Groove. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Human Perception and Performance, 49(3), 290-305. doi: 10.1037/xhp0001087
  • Senn, Olivier; Bechtold, Toni; Hoesl, Florian; Jerjen, Rafael; Kilchenmann, Lorenz; Rose, Dawn; Baldassarre, Antonio; Sigrist, Carlo & Alessandri, Elena (2023). An SEM approach to validating the psychological model of musical groove. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Human Perception and Performance, 2023(3), 290-305. doi: 10.1037/xhp0001087
  • Alessandri, Elena & Williamson, Victoria Jane (2022). The critic’s voice: On the role and function of criticism of classical music recordings. Frontiers in Psychology, 13(925394), 1-14. doi: https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.925394
  • Rose, Dawn; Sigrist, Carlo & Alessandri, Elena (13.11.2021). Hard Work and Hopefulness: A Mixed Methods Study of Music Students’ Status and Beliefs in Relation to Health, Wellbeing, and Success as They Enter Specialized Higher Education. Frontiers in Psychology / Performance Science, (12), 740775. doi: https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.740775
  • Alessandri, Elena; Rose, Dawn & Wasley, David (28.10.2020). Health and Wellbeing in Higher Education: A Comparison of Music and Sport Students Through the Framework of Self Determination Theory. Frontiers in Psychology / Performance Science, 2020, 11:566307. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2020.566307
  • Alessandri, Elena; Rose, Dawn; Baldassarre, Antonio; Senn, Olivier; Szamatulski, Katrin & Williamson, Victoria Jane (30.04.2020). Who reads music reviews today? A survey of classical music listeners’ engagement with professional critique. Music and Science, 2020(3), 1-16. doi: https://doi.org/10.1177/2059204320931337
  • Senn, Olivier; Bechtold, Toni Amadeus; Rose, Dawn; Schmidt Câmara, Guilherme; Düvel, Nina; Jerjen, Rafael; Kilchenmann, Lorenz; Hoesl, Florian; Baldassarre, Antonio & Alessandri, Elena (2020). Experience of Groove Questionnaire: Instrument Development and Initial Validation. Music perception: an interdisciplinary journal, 38(1), 46-65. doi: 10.1525/mp.2020.38.1.46
  • Alessandri, Elena; Dawn, Rose; Senn, Oliver; Szamatulski, Katrin; Baldassarre, Antonio & Williamson, Victoria Jane (2020). Consumers on Critique: A Survey of Classical Music Listeners’ Engagement with Professional Music Reviews. Music & Science, 3, 1-19. doi: 10.1177/2059204320931337
  • Senn, Olivier; Rose, Dawn; Bechtold, Toni Amadeus; Kilchenmann, Lorenz; Hoesl, Florian; Jerjen, Rafael; Baldassarre, Antonio & Alessandri, Elena (04.06.2019). Preliminaries to a Psychological Model of Musical Groove. Frontiers in Psychology / Performance Science, 10, 1. doi: https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2019.01228
  • Alessandri, Elena; Carreras Sandoval, Victoria Jane; Eiholzer, Hubert & Williamon, Aaron (2016). A critical ear: Analysis of value judgements in reviews of Beethoven’s piano sonata recordings. Frontiers in Psychology / Performance Science, 7 (391), 1-17. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2016.00391
  • Alessandri, Elena; Carreras Sandoval, Victoria Jane; Eiholzer, Hubert & Williamon, Aaron (2015). Beethoven recordings reviewed: A systematic method for mapping the content of music performance critique. Frontiers in Psychology, 6:57. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2015.00057
  • Alessandri, Elena; Schuchert, Christian Lars & Lasauskaite Schüpbach, Ruta (2015). From the practice room to the concert venue: A preliminary study. Dissonance, (131), 28-32.
  • Alessandri, Elena; Eiholzer, Hubert & Williamon, Aaron (2014). Reviewing critical practice: An analysis of Gramophone’s reviews of Beethoven’s piano sonatas, 1923-2010. Musicae Scientiae, 18(2), 131-149. doi: 10.1177/1029864913519466

Publications and presentations - Article, review; not peer reviewed

  • Hoesl, Florian; Jerjen, Rafael; Bechtold, Toni Amadeus; Kilchenmann, Lorenz; Rose, Dawn; Alessandri, Elena & Senn, Olivier (2023). A Stimulus Set of 40 Popular Music Drum Patterns with Perceived Complexity Measures. Music & Science, 2023(6), 1-17. doi: 10.1177/20592043231202576
  • Baldassarre, Antonio & Alessandri, Elena (2021). Noch lange nicht in die Jahre gekommen. Schweizer Musikzeitung SMZ = Revue Musicale Suisse RMS = Rivista Musicale Svizzera RMS, 24(5), 32-33.
  • Alessandri, Elena & Baldassarre, Antonio (2021). Musik macht gesund - und krank? Newsletter / Alumni Hochschule Luzern, 13-13.
  • Alessandri, Elena (2016). State of the Art. Jahrbuch der Hochschule Luzern, 2016/2017, 78-79.
  • Schuchert, Christian Lars; Reisinger, Markus; Fischer, Danielle & Alessandri, Elena (2014). Räume für Musik: Üben, vorbereiten, aufführen. Tec21, 37, 15-15.

Publications and presentations - Chapter/legal commentary/lexicon article

  • Alessandri, Elena & Baldassarre, Antonio (2022). Musikkritik in Zeiten der Digitalisierung. In Peter Overbeck (Hrsg.), Musikjournalismus: Radio – Fernsehen – Print – Online (S. 35-41). Wiesbaden: Springer Verlag.
  • Alessandri, Elena & Baldassarre, Antonio (2021). Musik in Zeiten der Digitalisierung. In Peter Overbeck (Hrsg.), Musikjournalismus: Radio – Fernsehen – Print – Online (S. 35-41). Wiesbaden: VS Verlag für Sozialwissenschaften.
  • Alessandri, Elena; Williamson, Victoria Jane; Eiholzer, Hubert & Williamon, Aaron (2016). Evaluating Recorded Performance: An analysis of critics’ judgements of Beethoven piano sonata recordings. In Theodor Zanto; Ed Large (Hrsg.), Proceeding of the 14th International Conference for Music Perception and Cognition (S. 19-24). San Francisco (CA): ICMPC.
  • Alessandri, Elena; Carreras Sandoval, Victoria Jane; Eiholzer, Hubert & Williamon, Aaron (2015). Value judgements in criticism of Beethoven piano sonata recordings. In Ginsborg, J., Lamont, A., Phillips, M., Bramley, S. (Hrsg.), Proceedings of the Ninth Triennial Conference of the European Society for the Cognitive Sciences of Music (S. 1-2). Manchester: European Society for the Cognitive Sciences of Music.
  • Alessandri, Elena (2014). The notion of expression in music criticism. In Dorottya Fabian; Renee Timmers; Emery Schubert (Hrsg.), Expressiveness in music performance: Empirical approaches across styles and cultures (S. 22-33). Oxford: Oxford University Press.
  • Alessandri, Elena; Eiholzer, Hubert & Williamon, Aaron (2013). Between producers and consumers: Critics’ role in guiding listeners’ choices. In Aaron Williamon; Werner Goebl (Hrsg.), Proceedings of the International Symposium on Performance Science 2013 (S. 671-676). Brussels: Association Européenne des Conservatoires AEC.
  • Alessandri, Elena; Cervino, Alessandro; Eiholzer, Hubert; Senn, Olivier & Williamon, Aaron (2011). Investigating critical practice. In Aaron Williamon; Darryl Edwards; Lee Bartel (Hrsg.), Proceedings of the International Symposium on Performance Science 2011 (S. 1-6). Utrecht: European Association of Conservatoires AEC.
  • Alessandri, Elena (2011). Discography or what analysts of recordings do before analyzing. In Claudia Emmeneger; Olivier Senn (Hrsg.), Five perspectives on "Body and Soul" and other contributions to music performance studies (S. 111-125). Zürich: Chronos Verlag.
  • Alessandri, Elena (2010). L'importanza dei preliminari: La discografia. In Massimo Zicari (Hrsg.), Ricerca e musica: Nuove frontiere (S. 81-99). Varese: Zecchini Editore.

Publications and presentations - Theses (Bachelor/Master/Dissertation/Habilitation)

  • Alessandri, Elena (2014). Evaluating recorded performance: An investigation of music criticism through Gramophone reviews of Beethoven piano sonata recordings. Dissertation, Royal College of Music, London, UK.
  • Alessandri, Elena (2008). Rapporto pedagogico sul percorso formativo dell’allieva Tatiana Tuor relativo all’anno scolastico 2007/2008 (nicht veröffentlichte Master-/Lizentiats-/Diplomarbeit). Conservatorio della Svizzera italiana, Scuola Universitaria di Musica, Switzerland.

Publications and presentations - Learning aids

  • Alessandri, Elena & Schuchert, Christian Lars (2013). From the practice room to the concert venue: preliminary results. ISA module Summer School - Ein interdisziplinäres Planungsspiel am Südpol. Lucerne.

Publications and presentations - Other publication formats

  • Alessandri, Elena & Baldassarre, Antonio (04.03.2019). Welche Rolle spielen Rezensionen für Klassik-Hörer? [Radiosendung]. https://www.swr.de/swr2/musik-klassik/Welche-Rolle-spielen-Rezensionen-fuer-Klassik-Hoerer,aexavarticle-swr-59956.html
  • Alessandri, Elena (01.02.2019). Klassik Aktuell [Radiosendung]. https://www.br-klassik.de/audio/gespraech-mit-elena-alessandri-100.html
  • Alessandri, Elena (31.01.2019). Musikzeitschriften haben es schwer [Radiosendung].
  • Alessandri, Elena (07.01.2019). Musikkritiker sind keine aussterbende Spezies [Radiosendung].
  • Alessandri, Elena (2019). Mit Lampenfieber zum Erfolg, HSLU Content Hub.
  • Alessandri, Elena (27.08.2018). Shéhérazade, Radiointerview über die Natur und Rolle der Musikkritik [Radiosendung].
  • Alessandri, Elena (22.05.2016). Was machen eigentlich Musikkritiker, wenn sie Musik kritisieren. SRF Kultur, Kultur Kompakt [Radiosendung].

Publications and presentations - Presentation (conference/report/lectures)

  • Alessandri, Elena; Rose, Dawn; Cruder, Cinzia & Senn, Olivier (03.07.2024). Taking a holistic view of music student wellbeing in higher education: a three year study of physical and psychological health in a Swiss conservatory. European Society for the Cognitive Sciences of Music 12th Triennial Conference, York.
  • Sigrist, Carlo; Alessandri, Elena; Baldassarre, Antonio & Rose, Dawn (17.06.2022). Empowering Musicians: Förderung gesunder Musik-Karrieren im Hochschulkontext. Case-Präsentation. Die Bürgenstock-Konferenz 2022 der Schweizer Fachhochschulen und Pädagogischen Hochschulen: Die soziale Verantwortung der Hochschulen., Luzern.
  • Alessandri, Elena; Rose, Dawn & Sigrist, Carlo (27.10.2021). International Symposium on Performance Science (ISPS). Hard work and hopefulness: Music students' health and wellbeing as they enter specialised higher education., Montreal, Canada (Virtual).
  • Alessandri, Elena; Rose, Dawn; Sigrist, Carlo; Blackstone, Kate & Burland, Karen (28.07.2021). A mixed methods investigation of music student wellbeing: Perspectives from schools of music in Switzerland and the UK. International Conference Music Perception and Cognition (ICMPC), University of Sheffield, United Kingdom.
  • Senn, Oliver; Bechtold, Toni Amadeus; Rose, Dawn; Schmidt Câmara, Guilherme; Düvel, Nina; Jerjen, Raphael; Kilchermann, Lorenz; Hoesl, Florian; Baldassare, Antonio & Alessandri, Elena (28.07.2021). Experience of Groove Questionnaire: Instrument Development. International Conference Music Perception and Cognition (ICMPC), University of Sheffield, United Kingdom.
  • Alessandri, Elena; Rose, Dawn & Wasley, David (09.09.2020). Health and wellbeing in higher education: Challenges for music and sport. Autumn 2020 SEMPRE Conference. The role of music psychology research in a complex world: Implications, applications and debates., University of Leeds (Online).
  • Alessandri, Elena; Rose, Dawn & Wasley, David (03.09.2020). Health and Wellbeing in Higher Education: a comparison of Music and Sport students through the framework of self-determination theory. Deutsche Gesellschaft für Musikpsycholgie -Jahrestagung 2020, Virtual Poster Conference.
  • Alessandri, Elena; Rose, Dawn; Baldassarre, Antonio; Senn, Olivier; Szamatulski, Katrin & Williamson, Victoria Jane (06.09.2019). Is music criticism a dying art? Society for German Music Psychology Conference on Cognitive Music Psychology, Catholic University of Eichstätt-Ingolstadt in Germany.
  • Alessandri, Elena; Baldassarre, Antonio; Williamson, Victoria Jane; Senn, Olivier & Szamatulski, Katrin (05.08.2019). A new perspective on classical music listeners: Consumers’ Habits and the Influence of Professional Music Review. 2019 Biennial Meeting of the Society for Music Perception and Cognition, New York.
  • Szamatulski, Katrin; Alessandri, Elena & Senn, Olivier (07.07.2019). Music Practice Rooms: Understanding students’ needs. Intercongressional Symposium of the International Musicological Society, Luzern.
  • Alessandri, Elena; Baldassarre, Antonio; Williamson, Victoria Jane & Szamatulski, Katrin (07.07.2019). Work in progress: Developing a model of criticism of classical music recordings. Intercongressional Symposium of the International Musicological Society, Luzern.
  • Rose, Dawn; Alessandri, Elena; Annett, Lucy E.; Greenhalgh, Andy; Hadley, Rebecca; Senn, Olivier & Whyatt, Caroline (17.06.2019). A pilot study investigating the feasibility of a drum circle intervention for people with Parkinson’s. 17th Rhythm Production and Perception Workshop, Park Palace Hotel, Traverse City, Michigan, USA.
  • Sandmeier, Nicole; Baldassarre, Antonio & Alessandri, Elena (23.07.2018). Evaluating Music Performance: Processes and criteria. ICMPC15/ESCOM10, Graz.
  • Alessandri, Elena; Amstutz, Sibylla; Sandmeier, Nicole & Schuchert, Christian Lars (23.07.2018). Music Learning Spaces: Assisting musicians in achieving excellence. ICMPC15/ESCOM10, Graz.
  • Alessandri, Elena; Baldassarre, Antonio & Williamson, Victoria Jane (23.07.2018). How do you listen? Music listeners' habits and purchasing strategies. ICMPC15/ESCOM10, Graz.
  • Alessandri, Elena; Sandmeier, Nicole & Baldassarre, Antonio (13.10.2017). „Great Performance!“ – Kriterien und Herausforderungen bei der Evaluation von Performance-Abschlussprüfungen. Internationale Arbeitstagung Repertoirebildungen und Kanonisierungsprozesse im Musikhochschulbereich, Luzern.
  • Alessandri, Elena; Baldassarre, Antonio & Williamson, Victoria Jane (29.08.2017). Music Critics on the Roles and Functions of Music Criticism. International Symposium on Performance Science, Reykjavik, Island.
  • Alessandri, Elena (09.03.2017). An Empirical Perspective on Music Criticism. 1° Jornadas do NEMI, Lissabon, Portugal.
  • Alessandri, Elena; Williamson, Victoria Jane; Eiholzer, Hubert & Williamon, Aaron (05.07.2016). Evaluating Recorded Performance: An analysis of critics’ judgements of Beethoven piano sonata recordings. International Conference on Music Perception and Cognition, Fourteenth Biennial Meeting, San Francisco, California.
  • Alessandri, Elena; Williamson, Victoria Jane; Eiholzer, Hubert & Williamon, Aaron (17.08.2015). Value Judgements in Criticism of Beethoven Piano Sonata Recordings. Ninth Triennal Conference of the European Society for the Cognitive Sciences of Music, Royal Northern College of Music, Manchester, Grossbritannien.
  • Alessandri, Elena (04.05.2015). Evaluating Recorded Performance: An Investigation of Music Criticism through Gramophone Reviews of Beethoven's Piano Sonata Recordings. Musik Talks, Hochschule Luzern - Musik.
  • Alessandri, Elena; Williamson, Victoria Jane; Eiholzer, Hubert & Williamon, Aaron (29.05.2014). A Systematic Method for Mapping Music Critics' Judgements of Recorded Performance. The Neurosciences and Music V - Cognitive stimulation and rehabilitation, Dijon, Frankreich.
  • Alessandri, Elena (11.03.2014). Reviewing Critical Practice: Gramophone Critics’ Judgements of Beethoven’s Piano Sonatas. Grove Forum, Royal College of Music, London, UK.
  • Alessandri, Elena; Eiholzer, Hubert & Williamon, Aaron (28.08.2013). Between producers and consumers: Critics' role in guiding listeners choices. International Symposium on Performance Science, Wien.
  • Alessandri, Elena (10.11.2012). The ethics of music criticism. Annaul Congress of the European Association of Conservatoires AEC, St. Petersburg, Russia.
  • Alessandri, Elena (20.04.2012). Great Performance! Music and the validity of value judgements. Research Friday Lecture Series, Lugano.

Achievements

Achievements - Commissions, memberships and external activities

  • Alessandri, Elena. Review Editor. (01.10.2017). Music & Science.
  • Alessandri, Elena. Associate Editor. (2016-2018). Musicae Scientiae.
  • Alessandri, Elena. Associated Member. (2015). Music and Wellbeing Research Unit, University of Sheffield, UK.
  • Alessandri, Elena. Review Editor. (2014). Frontiers in Psychology, specialty section Performance Science.
  • Alessandri, Elena. Member of the Scientific Committee. (2014-2015). International Symposium on Performance Science 2015 (Kyoto, Japan).

Achievements - Other achievements

  • Köchli, Sabrina; Rose, Dawn; Taghipour, Armin; Alessandri, Elena & Isenegger, Manuel. Grant: IDN Performance Lab. Project Leader (Grant). Interdisziplinäres Netzwerk (IDN) Luzern (CH).
  • Alessandri, Elena; Sigrist, Carlo & Halter, Valérie. Internationales Symposium "Empowering Musicians: Gesund zum Erfolg" vom 24. und 25. November 2022. Ein Symposium zur Gesundheit von (angehenden) Profi-Musiker:innen. Co-Organisation. Hochschule Luzern - Musik.
  • Alessandri, Elena. Invited lecture. 'Reviewing critical practice:Gramophone critics’ judgements of Beethoven’s piano sonatas', Grove Forum Lecture Series. Royal College of Music, London, March 2014.
  • Alessandri, Elena; Eiholzer, Hubert & Williamon, Aaron. Conference presentation. 'Between producers and consumers: Critics’ role in guiding listeners’ choices', International Symposium on Performance Science 2013. University of Music and Performing Arts, Vienna, August 2013.
  • Alessandri, Elena. Invited talk. 'The Ethics of Music Criticism', Annual congress of the European Association of Conservatoires AEC. Rimsky-Korsakov Conservatory, St. Petersburg, November 2012.
  • Alessandri, Elena. Ethical dilemmas of performance evaluators. Invited talk, 'Ethical dilemmas of performance evaluators', Workshop The Ethics of Music Making. Conservatorio della Svizzera italiana, Monte Veritá, September 2012.
  • Alessandri, Elena. Invited lecture. 'Critica Musicale quale strumento di valutazione estetica', Art & Science Research Day. Conservatorio della Svizzera italiana, Lugano, March 2011.
  • Alessandri, Elena; Cervino, Alessandro; Eiholzer, Hubert; Senn, Olivier & Williamon, Aaron. Investigating Critical Practice. Conference paper, 'Investigating Critical Practice', International Symposium on Performance Science 2011. University of Toronto, Toronto, August 2011.
  • Alessandri, Elena. Invited lecture. 'The Ethics of Music Performance Evaluation', Musik Talks Lecture Series. Hochschule Luzern - Musik in collaboration with the Schweizerische Musikforschende Gesellschaft (SMG) Sektion Luzer. Lucerne, November 2011..
  • Alessandri, Elena. Conference presentation. 'Music Performance ID', 5th Swiss Innovation Forum. Novartis Campus, Basel, November 2010.
  • Alessandri, Elena. Conference presentation. 'Discography or What Analysts of Recordings do Before Analyzing', International Conference of Music Performance Analysis, Symposium 2: Methods of Music Performance Analysis. Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts, Lucerne, June 2009.
  • Alessandri, Elena. Conference presentation. 'Why on Earth should a Musician do Research?', The differences of Art and Art research across the disciplines. Zürich, April 2009.