Volker Straebel is a musicologist, composer, and curator based in Berlin. He grew up in West Berlin and earned his M.A. in musicology, philosophy, and library studies from the Technical University of Berlin. After working as a music journalist, he advised the MaerzMusik festival (Berliner Festspiele) from 2002 to 2014.

He has held several leadership roles in music and sound studies: Director of the Electronic Music Studio at the Technical University Berlin (2009–2014), Director of the Master’s program Sound Studies and Sonic Arts at the University of the Arts Berlin (2015–2020), and Dean of the Herb Alpert School of Music at CalArts (2021–2025). Since 2026, he has been Director of the Music Archives at the Academy of the Arts, Berlin.

Straebel’s academic work, which focuses on experimental music and sound art, and his artistic practice and curatorial pursuits are interwoven and complement each other. His compositions and performances range from amplified jackstraws to inaudible infrasonic pieces. He has also realized, staged, and performed indeterminate works by John Cage and others.

vs[at]straebel[dot]com