Northern Illinois University
College of Visual and Performing Arts

Acting Associate Dean, CVPA, and Associate Professor, Music History

Janet Hathaway holds the Ph.D. and M.A. (historical musicology) from New York University and the B.M. (music history) from University of North Texas. Her primary areas of research include devotional music in public ceremonies in 17th-century Madrid and music and identity in early modern Spanish convents.

Her numerous publications include an article on music and censure in 17th-century Madrid in Acta musicologica and an article, “Spirituality and Devotional Music in the Royal Convent of the Descalzas, Madrid," in the Journal of Musicological Research. Professor Hathaway has presented papers at annual meetings of the American Musicological Society, as well as at the Medieval, Renaissance and Baroque Studies International Symposium and the annual meeting of the Association (formerly Society) for Spanish and Portuguese Historical Studies. Her dissertation, Cloister, Court and City: Musical Activity of the Monasterio de las Descalzas Reales (Madrid), ca. 1620-1700, concerns convents, chapels, and devotional music in 17th-century Madrid.

Professor Hathaway received a Fulbright fellowship to carry out dissertation research in Spain.

While in New York, she remained active as a performer of Baroque and Renaissance flutes, playing with such groups as BachWorks and the Washington Bach Consort. She has also performed with the Madison Bach Musicians. Professor Hathaway directs the NIU Early Music Ensemble, which performs repertory from the Middle Ages through J.S. Bach.