Erich Moritz von Hornbostel

Erich Moritz von Hornbostel was a pioneering ethnomusicologist from Austria who, in the early 20th century, developed a system to classify musical instruments. His classification, known as the Hornbostel-Sachs system, groups instruments based on how they produce sound, such as through vibrations of strings, membranes, or air columns. This framework helps researchers organize and study the world's diverse musical instruments scientifically and systematically, fostering a better understanding of musical cultures worldwide.