CFP: Red Strains - Music and Communism Outside the Communist Bloc, 1945-1990 (British Academy)

RED STRAINS: MUSIC AND COMMUNISM OUTSIDE THE COMMUNIST BLOC, 1945-1990
BRITISH ACADEMY, LONDON
13 - 15 JANUARY 2011

CALL FOR PAPERS

This is advance notice of an international conference to be held at the British Academy in London in January 2011, in conjunction with the University of Nottingham.

The relationship between state communism and music behind the Iron Curtain has been the subject of much scholarly interest. The importance of communism for musicians outside the communist bloc, by contrast, has received little sustained attention. This conference aims to examine:

* the nature and extent of individual musicians' involvement with communist organisations and parties;
* the appeal and reach of different strands of communist thought (e.g. Trotskyist; Cuban; Maoist);
* the significance of music for communist parties and groups (e.g. groups' cultural policies; use of music in rallies and meetings);
* the consequences of communist involvement for composition and music-making;
* how this involvement affected musicians' careers and performance opportunities in different countries.

Keynote speakers will include Professor Anne Shreffler (Harvard University) and Professor Gianmario Borio (University of Pavia). A round-table of key protagonists will include Henry Flynt and Konrad Boehmer. A concert of related music will be presented by the ensemble Apartment House.

A call for papers will be released in the autumn. Further details may be found at the conference website: http://www.nottingham.ac.uk/music/communism.php.

Dr Robert Adlington (Conference Organiser)
Department of Music
University of Nottingham
University Park
Nottingham NG7 2RD
United Kingdom
Robert.Adlington [AT] nottingham.ac.uk