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The International Conference ’Transgression in music’ The Feliks Nowowiejski Academy of Music in Bydgoszcz, 23rd-24th November 2021

Call for papers

On behalf of the authorities of the Faculty of Composition, Theory of Music and Sound Engineering as well as the Department of Theory of Music and Composition I am pleased to invite you to participate in. The conference will be held in the main building of the Feliks Nowowiejski Academy of Music in Bydgoszcz (Slowackiego 7) on 23rd-24th November 2021.

’Transgression, or stepping across (boundaries), means — as was once defined in the literary studies volume compiled under Maria Janion — transcending oneself, going beyond the accepted norms, conventions, roles or ideas — discarding the given and the ready-made — by those who wished to […] go ’beyond the horizon’’. Georges Bataille sees this experience as ’a voyage to the end of the possible of man. […] By virtue of the fact that it is negation of other values, other authorities, experience, having a positive existence, becomes itself value and authority’.

Transgression in musicstems from ideas that lead composers into previously unexplored territories of their creative potential, prompting them to transcend what has for years been considered the opus perfectum — the norms of the language of music, its genres and forms solidified in tradition — the musical substance. These ideas encourage artists to cross the limits of art, both elitist and popular, in pursuit of what has so far carried negative connotations or been viewed as unacceptable.

By inviting you to agree to be our guest and engage in examining the above-outlined leitmotif, we hope that the following discussion points that we propose may attract your attention:

• Ideas — theories — events stimulating change in music creation; • Innovation and individuality as the primary values of a musical work; • The negation of musical conventions — the source of new aesthetic and poetic approaches to composition; • ’Towards the uniqueness of a musical work’ — a ’journey’ to what emerges as novel and unprecedented in the art of music.

If you are willing to accept our invitation and participate in this year’s conference, contributing to the academic discussions that will become an integral part of it, you are kindly requested to email the title of your paper with an abstract of up to 700 words to the Conference Secretary, Ph.d. Barbara Mielcarek-Krzyzanowska, at barbaramk@poczta.onet.pl by 30th June 2021. Please, note that the maximum time allowed for a paper presentation will be 15 min. The conference languages will be Polish and English. Considering the current situation, we plan to convene the conference online — more details will be provided in due course. Our contributors’ papers will be published in the form of post-conference proceedings by the FNAM publishing unit. We will feel honoured to have your acceptance of our invitation and have you as a participant in our conference.

Yours sincerely,

Prof. Anna Nowak Conference Director