Music student finds inspiration at the gateway to Antarctica

Lydia Wagenknecht, a PhD candidate in ethnomusicology at CU Boulder’s College of Music and a recent recipient of a Fulbright Research Award, delves into questions of equity, justice and ecotourism in Chile, particularly around the city of Punta Arenas. Located in the southern peninsula of Chile, the city is a connecting point for researchers who study weather and climate change in Antarctica.

Wagenknecht’s research looks at the many musicians who are changing their artistic focus in the wake of the evolving makeup of the area surrounding Punta Arenas. She has even come to embrace Chilean musical activism. Since the colonial era, it’s been growing into a cosmopolitan area with people of different backgrounds coming and going, especially now that it has become a jumping-off point for travel to Antarctica.