Research has been part of my approach to playing historical instruments from the very beginning. In general, learning from history is something I consider to be very important . In early music or historical and cultural informed performance practice, gaining insights from all available sources, be they instruments, scores, music history, or more broadly, cultural studies, provides the means to act as a kind of re-converter of the otherwise lifeless musical notation. As a person and a musician, I value reflection on my actions. As a researching musician, reflection and the will to experiment are crucial to my work.
All my teaching positions involved research subjects, and early on I was invited to give lectures all over Europe. This was followed by writing articles which led to further lectures. Participation in a major research project on a unique ensemble of Renaissance instruments furthered my research activities and eventually led to my doctoral studies. The opportunity to apply for funding from the Austrian Science Fund for a very extensive research project subsequently opened up more than four years of research work, which impacted on all aspects of my professional life.