Musical Topics and Performance Practice: A Symposium

This Symposium explores the interactions between musical topics and performance practice. The concept of musical topics, often referred to as topic theory, was formulated in the 1980s by Leonard Ratner. Further expanded over the past four decades by Wye Allanbrook, Kofi Agawu, Raymond Monelle, and Robert Hatten, among many others, the theory of musical topics has developed into a powerful tool for studying the construction of meaning and expression in music.

The keynote, in the form of a lecture-recital, will be delivered by Dr Julian Hellaby, editor of the recently published Musical Topics and Musical Performance (Routledge, 2023), which will be launched at the symposium. If you are interested in attending the keynote address ONLY, please register here.

In addition to papers on specific case studies by scholars and performers working on various musical genres and time periods, there will be plenary presentations given by A/Prof Janice Dickensheets and Prof Melanie Plesch, respectively. The Symposium will also feature interactive Q&A sessions between presenters and participants.

Program highlights

Thursday 1 June, 4PM - 8PM

4PM: Registration opens in Prudence Myer Studio (Level 5), The Ian Potter Southbank Centre foyer.

5PM: First plenary session in Prudence Myer Studio (Level 5).

Prof Melanie Plesch: Topical Abstraction, Disambiguation and Performance Practice, or How Fast Should We Play Alberto Ginastera’s Pequeña danza?

6.30PM: Keynote address (lecture-recital) in Prudence Myer Studio (Level 5).

Dr Julian Hellaby (Macgeorge Visiting Speaker and Performer): Performing Topics at the Piano. If you are interested in attending the keynote address ONLY, please register here.

Friday 2 June, 9AM - 5PM

9AM: Registration opens in The Ian Potter Southbank Centre foyer.

9.30AM: Free papers session in Room 721 (Level 7).

12PM: Second plenary session in Room 721 (Level 7).

A/Prof Janice Dickensheets (Macgeorge Visiting Speaker): Ossianism, Narrative, and Dvořák’s New World Symphony

3.30PM: Book launch in in Room 721 (Level 7).

Musical Topics and Musical Performance, ed. Dr Julian Hellaby (Routledge, 2023): A panel with Dr Julian Hellaby, Janice Dickensheets and Melanie Plesch.

View the full symposium program here.

Keynote presenter

Dr Julian Hellaby (PhD, MMus, BMus, LRAM, ARAM) studied piano with the distinguished British pianist Denis Matthews and later at London’s Royal Academy of Music. He has performed as solo pianist, concerto soloist, accompanist and chamber musician in continental Europe, the Middle East, South Africa and throughout the UK. More recent two-piano work with pianist Peter Noke has featured performances across the UK and in the Far East.

Julian was an ABRSM (Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music) examiner, moderator and public presenter until 2022, as well as a former mentor for the ABRSM’s Certificate of Teaching course. He has taught academic music at Coventry University and London College of Music, and also has extensive experience of piano teaching at all levels. He has released several CDs as solo and collaborative pianist and has also published books and journal articles on various aspects of piano performance.

Plenary presenters

A/Prof Janine Dickensheets

Prof Melanie Plesch

Symposium Organising Committee

Prof Melanie Plesch

Dr David Tieri

Dr Tim Daly

Symposium Reading Committee

A/Prof Janice Dickensheets (University of Northern Colorado)

Prof Linda Kouvaras (University of Melbourne)

Dr John Gabriel (University of Melbourne)

Prof Melanie Plesch (University of Melbourne)

Symposium Support committee

Amelia Le Plastrier (PhD candidate, The University of Melbourne)

Jessica Cleave (MMus candidate, The University of Melbourne)

ACCESSIBILITY

All venues at the Southbank campus are wheelchair accessible. To read more about access services available at our venues, please visit: https://finearts-music.unimelb.edu.au/access-our-events

IMPORTANT INFORMATION

Due to current COVID-19 restrictions and University guidelines, there are a number of conditions currently in place for our in-person events. To read more about the University's COVID-19 response, please visit: https://www.unimelb.edu.au/coronavirus.

• The University continues to strongly encourage individuals to remain up to date with their COVID-19 vaccinations, but no longer requires evidence of vaccination in order to access campus.
• Wearing a mask remains recommended when you cannot physically distance.
• Please stay at home if you feel unwell or have been ordered to isolate.
• Walk-ups and latecomers will be admitted at the discretion of front of house staff.