Claire Thompson is a doctoral candidate in musicology at UC Davis. She has a B.M. in performance (flute) from UC Santa Barbara, and a master’s degree in musicology from Pennsylvania State University. Her research interests include music aesthetics and the cultural and political aspects of opera and operetta. Her dissertation explores the creation, dissemination, and reception of nineteenth-century Italian operas based on the works of Sir Walter Scott. She is a recipient of the Hubert H. and Barbara P. Wakeham Mentoring at Critical Transitions (MCT) Fellowship and the Bilinski Educational Foundation Fellowship.