Royal Research Series


From 7 to 11 April 2025, the Royal Conservatoire will host the annual Master Research Symposium. During this special week, master’s students will present their artistic research projects in various formats, including captivating performances, imagery, and videos that showcase their artistic journeys.

In the lead-up to the Symposium, four students will offer a preview of their research at the Centrale Bibliotheek. Below, they explain their research project. Be inspired by their unique insights and fresh perspectives. Don’t miss out!

The presentations are given in English.

Photo: Alex Schröder

Programme

Thursday 20 February

'Experimental music for children' explores how to design a workshop on experimental music for children. This practice-based research is built on eight workshops conducted between February 2024 and January 2025 in Norway and the Netherlands. Together with two fellow musicians, I explored how to create an inspiring and open environment where children can make music, listen, draw, and engage in discussions. Our goal was to foster their creative process and stimulate their imagination.

Thursday 6 March

This research explores how Choreomania—the historical phenomenon of uncontrollable, communal dancing ‘plagues’ dating back to the Middle Ages in Europe—can influence and transform my artistic process. The central question guiding this study is: How does the phenomenon of Choreomania inform my creative process and influence the way I shape a performance?

The study combines an analysis of historiographical sources with an in-depth observation and documentation of the artistic processes of five artists-in-residence investigating Choreomania. The next phase involves establishing an experimental laboratory with three try-outs, each meticulously documented, analyzed, and reflected upon. These try-outs serve as a means to explore the evolving form of the performance.

The final performances emerge from a dynamic fusion of classical piano, improvisation, movement, voice, collaborations with other artists, and the unpredictable elements of Choreomania. The study concludes with a deeper reflection and synthesis of the entire process.

Thursday 20 March

For many younger composers, finding an audience we can truly relate to—and speaking to people like us—remains a challenge. With classical music audiences ageing and the ongoing struggle to attract younger generations to opera houses and concert halls, we must ask ourselves: who are we writing for?

My opera Serenoid, which premiered in London in September 2024, is based on an idea for a Star Trek fanfiction piece. This work explores how opera can engage with a niche space within queer and disabled geek culture by actively connecting with online fandom communities. My research documents the process and outcomes of this experiment.

Thursday 3 April

Space is the place. It is the only place that has ever existed, exists, and will ever exist. But space has no meaning without objects; without reference points, space ceases to exist.

Music is intrinsically tied to space; music happens in a space. Yet, throughout history, music has primarily focused on what happens and when, rather than where it happens.

With the advent of Virtual Reality, Dolby Atmos, binaural recording, and surround sound, sound artists, musicians, and listeners are developing a more refined sensitivity and creativity toward sound localization and spatialization. Space is gradually gaining greater significance in how we perceive and conceptualize music. Moreover, the introduction of headphones into the audio market has significantly impacted the way we experience music today.

Headphones create a new space—a personal space. Music composed for both headphones and speakers can offer alternative perspectives on how we relate to our sonic environment, particularly in how we connect to ‘internal’ and ‘external’ sounds. This music may also comment on the extent to which we isolate ourselves from others and how our personal space interacts with the spaces of others.

I hope this work sparks curiosity, inspires creation, and encourages reflection on the meaning of space, connection, and isolation.

Details

Date

Thu 20 February 2025 12.30 - 13:15

Location

Podium B, Centrale Bibliotheek The Hague

More info

More information will follow in due course

Date

Thu 6 March 2025 12.30 - 13:15

Location

Podium B, Centrale Bibliotheek The Hague

More info

More information will follow in due course

Date

Thu 20 March 2025 12.30 - 13:15

Location

Podium B, Centrale Bibliotheek The Hague

More info

More information will follow in due course

Date

Thu 3 April 2025 12.30 - 13:15

Location

Podium B, Centrale Bibliotheek The Hague

More info

More information will follow in due course