Music, War and Peace in Europe 1922−2022

War is one of the prominent themes of 20th century music. The project “Music, War and Peace in Europe 1922−2022” wants in the context of the invasion of Ukraine to recall the disastrous consequences of European totalitarianisms as instigators of armed conflicts, genocides such as the Holocaust, and to share with European audiences the idea that continental peace cannot be based on the market alone, but also on strong common values of democracy, the fight against racism and anti-Semitism, freedom and unity.

The project is funded 1.1.−31.12.2023 by the European Commission (Citizens, Equality, Rights and Values Programme) and the coordinator of the project is Forum Voix Etouffees (FVE). The project brings together 26 partners from 15 member States and 2 non-member countries of the EU: Ukraine and Bosnia and Herzegovina. University of the Arts Helsinki is one of the partners and the contact person is DMus Anne Piirainen, visiting researcher at the History Forum, Uniarts Helsinki Research Institute. 

The project will be articulated in 13 events each comprising 3 fields of action. It collaborates with museums and Jewish communities in the Baltic countries, memorial museums, universities and many musical institutions (orchestras and festivals). It will reach more than 5,000 European citizens directly and more than 200,000 indirectly. Its events will be recorded, published and available on a dedicated site.

Symposium: Perspectives on Music in Times of War 20.−21.11.2023

The current war in Ukraine is a tragic reminder of how little we learn from history, and how much the work of memory, which we expect to preserve from repeating the mistakes of the past, must always be put back to work. War is also one of the prominent themes of 20th century music, particularly within European art music.

In November 20−21, 2023 a two-day symposium in Helsinki will take place to provide artistic and scholarly viewpoints on questions of wartime and war-related music. The two-day event consists of a masterclass focussing on wartime European art music repertoire on Monday Nov 20th, and a research seminar on Tuesday Nov 21st.

The teachers and active participants of the masterclass will be Sibelius Academy artistic researchers and advanced students, and listeners are also welcome. The invited speakers of the research seminar are established researchers in the field of wartime music. Each research seminar session is followed by an in-depth discussion round with the speakers and the audience. Both days are concluded with concerts. On Monday, the students of the masterclass will present the outcome of the day. The closing concert on Tuesday will feature internationally acknowledged chamber musicians associated with the project “Music, War and Peace”.

The symposium will take place in the Camerata hall of the Helsinki Music Centre. The organizers welcome everyone interested, and attendance is free of charge. Pre-registration is required. The language of the event is English.

The symposium is organised by the ongoing EU project “Music, War and Peace in Europe 1922–2022”, the Uniarts History Forum, and Sibelius Academy. The event is funded by the European Commission (“Citizens, Equality, Rights and Values” Programme – CERV-2022, call “European Remembrance“) and the University of the Arts Helsinki.

Funded by the European Union logo with the EUs flag

Project name

Music, War and Peace in Europe 1922−2022

Time

01/2023-06/2024

Funder

European Union

Contact

  • Anne Piirainen

    Part-time teacher, DocMus Doctoral School, Sibelius Academy
    Visiting researcher, Tutkimusinstituutti, Research Institute
    anne.piirainen@uniarts.fi