On 15 October 2025, Gertraud Cerha received an honorary doctorate from the mdw. With this distinction, our University sought to acknowledge Gertraud Cerha’s internationally recognised accomplishments in more than one of its academic fields—namely musicology, music education, and music mediation. Gertraud Cerha has been a central figure in the Austrian contemporary music scene for many decades: as a protagonist, observer, and mediator, she advanced over the years to become a key expert on post-1945 developments in Austrian musical culture and has to this day remained an oft-requested lecturer and author in this regard.
In her acceptance speech at the degree’s formal conferral, Gertraud Cerha recalled her own studies at the then-Academy of Music and Performing Arts Vienna (now the mdw) and the fruitful collaboration with her husband Friedrich Cerha in the realm of contemporary music, and she expressed her gratitude for this honour.
Rector Ulrike Sych stated: “Gertraud Cerha embodies a stance in which music mediation is conceived of not as a complementary pedagogical element but as an integral component of artistic thought. Her commitment demonstrates how music mediation enables the successful translation of artistic excellence into social responsibility.”
