Technology Mediation in Contemporary Opera

Introduction

The Venice Conservatoire of Music "B. Marcello" (IT) and Royal Birmingham Conservatoire (UK) are pleased to present the international symposium "Technology Mediation in Contemporary Opera: Preservation, Innovation, and Sustainable Practices". This symposium brings together artists, researchers, and musicians from around the world to explore the creative role of technology in opera and music theatre and the challenges that technology poses for the preservation and sustainability of the repertoire.

The Symposium

The symposium "Technology Mediation in Contemporary Opera: Preservation, Innovation, and Sustainable Practices" seeks to interrogate a critical nexus within contemporary opera and music theatre, where technological mediation has fundamentally reconfigured production, reception, and preservation of the repertoire. Digital infrastructures and computational systems simultaneously expand creative possibilities while introducing unprecedented preservation challenges.

The Italian operatic tradition, with its rich historical lineage, provides a particularly fertile domain for examining the changing role of technological mediation. This topic is especially timely as many contemporary opera productions from the late 20th and early 21st centuries now require technological updates or face extinction. The preservation of these works presents both technical and philosophical questions about authenticity and adaptation.

By bringing together artists, researchers, and musicians to address these challenges, the symposium aims to establish frameworks that will ensure the continued relevance and accessibility of technology-mediated operatic works for future generations.

Symposium Programme

Topics

Main topic: Technology mediation in contemporary opera, with an emphasis on the Italian repertoire

The symposium addresses the following topics:

• Historical-philological investigation methods of technology-mediated operatic works
• Historically informed live electronics and electroacoustic music performance practices
• Innovative performance practices in opera and music theatre, including in-depth case studies
• Sustainability of the opera and music theatre repertoire
• Diversity and inclusion in innovative opera and music theatre performance practices
• Notation of electronics and live media processing in operatic performances
• Notation of sound spatialisation in operatic performances
• Obsolescence of hardware and software used in the operatic repertoire
• Restoration and reconstruction of obsolete devices, and porting of obsolete software
• Free Software and open data in the preservation and sustainability of operatic works

Scientific Committee

Registration

What's Included

• Access to all symposium sessions, keynote lectures, and paper presentations
• Coffee/tea breaks with refreshments and pastries
• Evening demonstrations and concert-lectures
• Traditional Birmingham Balti dinner (Friday evening)

Proceedings Publication

The Symposium Proceedings will be published in a forthcoming issue of the Music/Technology Journal, published by Firenze University Press (ISSN 1974-0042 for print; ISSN 1974-0050 for online editions). Authors whose papers are presented at the symposium will have a period of two months following the conclusion of the symposium to revise and refine their contributions for publication.

Venue Information

Getting to Royal Birmingham Conservatoire

Royal Birmingham Conservatoire is easily accessible from Birmingham City Centre and is a walk of approximately 15-20 minutes from Birmingham New Street station, the main railway station. The venue is well-connected by public transport and located in the heart of Birmingham's cultural quarter.

Birmingham International Airport

Birmingham is served by Birmingham International Airport. A free air-rail link connects the airport to Birmingham International Station, from where there are frequent connections to Birmingham New Street station.

Electronic Travel Authorisation

If you are travelling from outside the UK, please be aware of the new requirement for visitors to be in possession of an ETA. Please visit the UK Government website for more information on applying for an electronic travel authorisation.

Presentation Guidelines

Organizers

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