Excellently Engaged

Higher music education is currently undergoing profound processes of transformation. The traditional conservatoire model, which—under the banner of musical excellence and an attitude of “art for art’s sake”—constructs an imaginatively apolitical space, is increasingly subject to critical reflection. Not least in light of current societal developments, in which democratic institutions are coming under growing pressure from nationalist and far-right movements, a clear political stance becomes both a democratic imperative and a moral obligation.

The Excellently Engaged conference responds to these developments and is based on two central premises:

- Higher music education institutions, due to their focus on art and music, possess particular opportunities and potentials to contribute to a more democratic society and to social cohesion.

- Given the scale of contemporary societal crises, it is no longer sufficient to locate socially relevant initiatives solely within the framework of a Third Mission. Rather, societal engagement must be conceived relationally and become a core mission that permeates teaching and research / development and advancement of the arts (EEK) at all levels.

The conference includes a workshop with musica inaudita and inn.wien entitled Unlearn the Canon, which not only critically engages with processes of canon formation in classical music but also opens up concrete perspectives for more diverse programming practices. Rosie Perkins (Royal College of Music) will talk about the concept of the Civic Conservatoire in her lecture, while Tuulikki Laes (Sibelius Academy) introduces Public Pedagogy as a guiding perspective for contemporary tertiary music education. A provocation by Irina Kirchberg (Université de Montréal) will open the subsequent panel discussion. The conference concludes with a concert by the inn.wien Quartet.

Further infos can be found here.

Programm

9 am Workshop musica inaudita & inn.wien ensemble: Unlearn the Canon – Diverse Repertoire Now! (for students and external musicians), German

12 pm Break

13 pm Greeting words and introduction (Vice rector Gerda Müller, Ulli Mayer, Axel Petri-Preis)

13.30 pm Lecture plus Q&A Rosie Perkins (Royal College of Music): The Civic Conservatoire, English

14.30 pm Lecture plus Q&A Tuulikki Laes (Sibelius Academy): Higher music education as site of public pedagogy, Englisch

15.15 pm Break

16 pm Artistic intervention mdw students

16.30 pm Provocation by Irina Kirchberg (Université de Montréal), English

17 pm Panel Tuulikki Laes, Rosie Perkins, Axel Petri-Preis, Irina Kirchberg, Ulli Mayer, students. Moderation: N.N., English

18.30 pm Break

19.30 pm Concert inn.wien quartet