Sebastian Eck

Hélène La Rue Scholarship in Music

Joining us from: Germany

DPhil in Music (2025)

My research sits at the intersection of historic musicology and the latest computational methods. With a Bachelor’s in Musicology (Weimar, Germany) and an MSc in Digital Scholarship (Oxford), I am particularly fascinated by how we can use new technologies -- specifically Multimodal Large Language Models (MLLMs) -- to support historiographic research across disciplines. 

My current DPhil project focuses on the posthumous publication of two of Max Reger’s (1873-1916) early compositions, through the lens of his former teacher Adalbert Lindner (1860-1946). By applying Social Network Analysis (SNA) to Lindner’s personal network, I aim to reveal structures of influence, collaboration, and mediation in Germany’s early 20th-century musical world. 

Receiving the Hélène La Rue Scholarship means a great deal to me. It has provided me with the freedom to dedicate myself fully to my studies while also promoting digital scholarship at the University by serving as the co-founder and inaugural president of Oxford’s (first) Digital Scholarship Society (OxDSS). I have found St Cross to have a wonderfully mature community where everyone is deeply passionate about their specific field, leading to fascinating, interdisciplinary discussions that often help frame my own research in new ways.

As such, I have found St Cross to be a wonderful and very supportive college. I have come to love the welcoming atmosphere on site (and the amazing lunches!), as well as the beautiful green spaces which we can see from our common room. A personal highlight is having access to the two grand pianos, which I make frequent use of during breaks. As a musician at heart, I have absolutely loved participating in the St Cross Christmas Carols - a truly lovely experience!

Outside of my research and organising OxDSS events, I often perform chamber music with friends and sing as a Choral Scholar in Wadham College’s Chapel Choir.