The beginning of the ‘Music’ Department goes back to 1948 with the founding of the academic music research institute with a museum. The first members were Petko Stainov and Andrei Stoyanov. The first director was Acad. Petko Stainov; the first regular staff member: Ivan Kachulev (since 1950). Initially the institute has two departments: one of folk music and another for academic research and publications. During the years some very famous Bulgarian scientists work at the Music Institute: Raina Katzarova, Elena Stoin, Nikolai Kaufman, Andrei Andreev, Venelin Krastev, Stoyan Stoyanov, Todor Dzhidzhev, Todor Todorov, Agapia Balareva, Gencho Gaitandzhiev, Elena Kuteva, Bozhidar Spasov, Mikhail Bukureshliev, Vergilii Atanasov, Lilyana Vitanova-Staleva, Anna Ilieva, Violeta Konsulova, Ilia Manolov, Leon Moskona, Dimitrina Kaufman. Until 1988 the Music Institute was part of the Academic Society for Art Studies which included three additional institutes: The Institute of Art Studies, Folklore Institute, Institute for Theory and History of Urban Planning and Architecture. During that same year with a decree of the Council of Ministers the Music Institute and the Institute of Art Studies merge: the Institute on Problems of Art Studies is created which later is renamed to Institute of Art Studies.
The ‘Music’ Department at the Institute of Art Studies has 6 research groups that combine the efforts of scientists working in different spheres of theory and history of music.
Head of the ‘Music’ Department is Prof. Rositsa Draganova. PhD.