Victoria Wolff

Education

Ph.D. in Hispanic Studies from McGill University (Montreal, Quebec); M.A. in Latin American Studies from the University of New Mexico (Albuquerque, USA); and B.A. in Romance Languages (Spanish) from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (USA).

My personal experiences, studies, research, and teaching have opened doors for me to travel, meet interesting people of diverse backgrounds, and continue to learn and share knowledge.

I was born in Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA and spent the majority of my formative years in Albuquerque. My mother is part of the ethnic group known as the Hispanos de Nuevo México. This group is descended from the Spanish-speaking settler-colonizers of the region. Nuevomexicanos share deep historical and cultural ties with the diverse indigenous communities of the area. My father is originally from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. His arrival to New Mexico at the age of 18 is representative of twentieth-century waves of migration that have contributed artistically and scientifically to this unique state.

Growing up in the “Land of Enchantment” inspired me to pursue the formal study of Spanish. My studies at the undergraduate level at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and at the masters level at the University of New Mexico have allowed me to live for extended periods of time in Seville, Spain and Guadalajara, Mexico.

My doctoral studies brought me to Montreal, Quebec, Canada, a wonderful cultural center and the largest French-speaking city in North America. After completing my Ph.D., I was thrilled to continue my research and teaching career in the Department of Modern Languages and Literatures (now Languages and Cultures) at Western.

Prior to entering academia, I was a licensed secondary High School teacher of Spanish and English as Foreign Language in New Mexico. I am not only a professor, but a professor-mom. My family keeps me happily occupied outside of the university.

Research Areas

• • Adaptation Studies
• • Hispanic Cultural Studies
• • Interartistic Approaches to Hispanic Texts
• • Transatlantic Studies

My principal focus is on the intersections of literature and music in the Hispanic world. The main body of my research centers on literary works rewritten and adapted as libretti for musico-dramatic performance by writers, librettists, and composers. I have also written on the use of music in the writing of Peruvian author José María Arguedas. Finally, I have examined the El Sistema music education program and its reach into Canada.  

Teaching Interests

• • Adaptation Studies
• • Hispanic Cultural Studies
• • Interartistic Approaches to Hispanic Texts
• • Transatlantic Studies

My teaching philosophy is rooted in fostering a dynamic and inclusive learning environment where students engage deeply at the intersections of language and culture. In Spanish and Hispanic Studies, I prioritize active learning and immersive experiences that empower students to develop linguistic proficiency while gaining a nuanced understanding of Hispanic cultures. Through Intercultural Communication and Digital Humanities, I emphasize the critical role of adaptation, creativity, and cultural sensitivity in navigating an increasingly interconnected world. My classes aim to equip students with the knowledge, skills, and values to thrive in diverse contexts while cultivating cultural intelligence, empathy, and global citizenship. 

Publications

Research Articles

“Allusion to Water, Music, and Social Drama in The Early Writings of José María Arguedas.” Delaware Review of Latin American Studies. 18.2 (2020): n. pag. Web.  

“Darse al diablo: Spanish Literature, Music, and Society in El Diablo Cojuelo (1878) by Composer Francisco Asenjo Barbieri and Librettists Mariano Pina Domínguez and Miguel Ramos Carrión.” Decimonónica (Journal of Nineteenth Century Hispanic Cultural Production). 12.1 (2015): n. pag. Web. 

“Many Voices: Reflections on the Personal and Professional Dimensions of Community Service Learning and Graduate Education in Hispanic Studies in Canada.” Memoria del Congreso Annual 2013. American Association of Teachers of Spanish and Portuguese – Capítulo Ontario. Eds. Luis Abanto and David Rozotto. Ottawa: Ottawa Hispanic Studies – Series Ensayos, 2014. 115-129. Print. 

“Specters of Bohemia: Music and Ghostly Appearances in the Dramatic and Musical-dramatic Adaptations of Pío Baroja’s Short Story “Caídos.” Hispanet Journal (Florida Memorial University, Miami Gardens, Florida, USA). Special Issue on the Day of the Dead: “Monsters, Ghosts, Devils, and Orishas in Latin-American and Peninsular Literature, Film, and Music.” 6 (2013): n. pag. Web. 

“The Construction of National and Transnational Hispanic Identities in Two Operatic Adaptations of Juan Zorrilla de San Martín’s Poem Tabaré.” Ars Lyrica (Journal of the Lyrica Society for Word-Music Relations, Center for European Studies, Harvard University). 20 (2012): 115-128. Print. 

“Word-Music Relations and the Musical Performance History of Juan Zorrilla de San Martín’s Poem Tabaré: Interview with Composer Sergio Cervetti.” Revista laboratorio (Universidad Diego Portales, Santiago, Chile) 6 (2012): n. pag. Web.  

“Musico-literary Dialogue in Los ríos profundos by José María Arguedas.” Hispanic Journal (Indiana University of Pennsylvania) 32.1 (2011): 27-44. Print.  

“Pepita Jiménez en el teatro lírico: De final feliz a la tragedia.” El modo trágico y la cultura hispánica. Eds. Ricardo de la Fuente Ballesteros and Jesús Pérez-Magallón. Valladolid: Universitas Castellae, 2008. 43-52. Print. 

Book Chapters

“Inter-Artistic Approaches to Teaching Hispanic Culture: Literature and Music” for Curriculum Design and Praxis in Language Teaching: A Globally Informed Approach. Eds. Fernanda Carra-Salsberg (York University), María Figueredo (York University), and Mihyon Jeon (York University). University of Toronto Press (Published May 2022). 

“El Sistema Up North: Re-Imagining Venezuela’s Music-Education Program in Canada” for Latin America Made in Canada. Eds. María del Carmen Suescun Pozas (Brock University) and Alena Robin (UWO). Editorial Lugar Común (Published April 2022). 

Book Reviews

JENNIFER RATHBUN. El libro de traiciones /The Book of Betrayals. New York City: Artepoética Press, 2021. 167pp. Rocky Mountain Review. 77.1 (2023). 

DORA SALES. José María Arguedas y el cine. Madrid and Frankfurt: Iberoamericana-Vervuert, 2017. 231 pp. Revista Canadiense de Estudios Hispánicos. 43.2 (2019). 

DOROTA HENEGHAN. Striking their Modern Pose: Fashion, Gender, and Modernity in Galdós, Pardo Bazán, and Picón. West Lafayette: Purdue University Press, 2015. ix + 155 pp. Revista Canadiense de Estudios Hispánicos. 40.2 (2016). 

GEOFFREY BAKER. El Sistema: Orchestrating Venezuela’s Youth. Oxford and New York: Oxford University Press, 2014. ix-xiii + 362 pp. Revista Canadiense de Estudios Hispánicos. 39.2 (2015). 

Press: Articles Written

“Re-imaginando el internacionalmente reconocido programa venezolano de educación musical en London” by Victoria Wolff, La Jornada (March 27, 2017): “Estudiantes de licenciatura inscritos en el curso Música, Danza y Performance en el Mundo Hispánico, ofrecido por el departamento de español de la Universidad Western, estudiaron recientemente el fenómeno de El Sistema y visitaron El Sistema Aeolian…” 

“Conectando el Ambiente Universitario con la Comunidad” by Victoria Wolff and Dorismel Díaz-Pérez, La Jornada (December 28, 2015): “…se ha desarrollado un curso de pregrado que congrega estudiantes de los programas de español, italiano y alemán. También participan estudiantes del programa de Literatura y Cultura Comparadas.” 

Press: News Features

“Program Uses Music to Bring Children Together” by Brendan Murphy, Western News (February 26, 2015): “Hispanic Studies professor Victoria Wolff believes music has the power to enrich this community and profoundly improve the lives of its disadvantaged children…”  

Presentations (selected)

Keynote: “A Novel on the Move: Bless Me, Ultima in Literature and Music.” Graduate Student Conference Travel Light: Apprehending Being on the Move, organized by the Graduate Programs in Comparative Literature, Hispanic Studies, and the Center for the Study of Theory and Criticism, London, Ontario, Canada. March 10, 2023. 

Invited Guest Lecture: “El Sistema Up North: Re-imagining Venezuela’s Music-Education Program for Canada.” Series on Literature and Music in Dialogue at York University in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. February 14, 2019. 

Awards

Teaching

Community Engaged Learning Award (2015): With Angela Borchert. Awarded $1,500 for development of the CEL component of Bridging Classroom and Community: Languages and Cultures in Action.  

Community Engaged Learning Award (2013): Awarded $1,500 for the development of the CEL component of Exploring Hispanic Cultures II.