Department of Music

Nate Steele is a Ph.D. student in Musicology and Ethnomusicology at Brown University. His scholarly interests include organology, critical theory, museum studies, and intellectual history. Born and raised in Western Mass, Nate has a particular fascination with early New England lutherie, specifically the American bass viol.

Nate earned his undergraduate degree at Harvard, concentrating in Social Studies, and writing his senior thesis on the work of Theodor Adorno. He then spent several years working in museums–recently finishing three years at the Musical Instrument Collection of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.

Alongside his academic pursuits, Nate is also a cellist, and performs regularly with groups such as the Boston Philharmonic and the Apollo Ensemble. In his spare time, Nate enjoys working on instruments as an amateur luthier, and is an avid canoer.