Composition and Musical Writing
The research line Composition and Musical Writing operates within a broad and diverse field, where composers and creative musicians examine the musical language of both past and present through their own artistic practice. Particular emphasis is placed on the investigation and exploration of one's personal musical idiom. Research questions often emerge from personal experience and address issues related to notation, analysis, interpretation, performance practice, reception, and more. The potential of modern music technology is also explored, opening up new possibilities and musical forms.
Collaboration in various forms sheds light on musical language from multiple perspectives while also presenting challenges. For instance, new models of analysis can give rise to new modes of meaning-making and creation. A common thread throughout these inquiries is the artist’s pursuit of technical enrichment—both within their own sound world and on a broader scale, in dramaturgical structures or musical forms developed in symbiosis with other art forms. The approach is driven by curiosity and artistic purpose alike: creation that enters into dialogue with the audience.
Cultural Studies, Musicology, Library
The research line Cultural Studies, Musicology, Library focuses on scholarly research in historical musicology conducted by musicologists, historians, musicians, and music theorists. It places particular emphasis on the study and dissemination of the rich historical collection housed in the library of the Royal Conservatory of Brussels, under the leadership of Johan Eeckeloo.
The group also concentrates on the musical history of Brussels and Flanders in the 19th, 20th, and 21st centuries. This includes:
(1) individual composers, such as Paul Gilson and Victor Legley;
(2) the institutional context of musical life, including the history of the Royal Conservatory of Brussels (encompassing its library and various instrumental classes), the national broadcaster (NIR, BRT, VRT) and its orchestras, and the Royal Theatre of La Monnaie;
(3) and specific genres, such as Flemish radio dramas.
A more recent addition is a dedicated research line on music and language, with a focus on the relationship between text and tone in vocal music. The first phase centers on the Second Viennese School, with a second phase planned to address French vocal music from the fin-de-siècle period.
Contact
Coördination: Jurgen De Pillecyn
