International musicological conference "Through the Prism of Chopin: Women, Music, and Social Change in the Long Nineteenth Century"
Warsaw
Organization: Fryderyk Chopin Institute
The social changes taking place in the nineteenth century included emancipation in both social class, resulting in the independence and, with time, dominant role of the bourgeoisie, and gender. Women in all areas of life, including the arts, had hitherto been confined almost exclusively to the home environment, but now became active in the public sphere as well. In the field of music, it was primarily as performers, but also as composers or teachers at the growing number of music conservatories. Women often faced convictions – hardened over centuries – about the superiority of male creativity over female creativity. In 1836 Robert Schumann, himself associated with the outstanding pianist and composer Clara (née Wieck), wrote about a collection of etudes by Maria Szymanowska: ‘If we should praise women highly, when they only play études, we ought to do even more when they write them. However, these are really good and improving, especially for studying figuration, ornaments, and rhythm. If we detect the uncertain woman in form and harmony, we find also the woman full of feeling, who has much more to say, if she only knew how. In character and invention these present the most remarkable qualities, for a woman composer, that we have met with’ (Schumann's indulgent approach was among the most favourable to women composers; most male critics and authors completely denied their ability to create). Today, the value of the work of such composers as Szymanowska, Clara Schumann and Fanny Mendelssohn-Hensel – to mention but the most widely known names – raises no doubts.
At the same time, women’s activities in private circles maintained their significance: thanks to the owners of albums, we now have a material heritage of great importance, and there is no denying the influence on culture and opinion exerted by salons among the aristocracy or the bourgeoisie (‘you immediately play better if Duchess Vaudémont made you her protégé’ – wrote Chopin right after arriving in Paris).
The aim of our conference is to focus on women in the nineteenth century as composers and performers and on the role of the albums they kept and the salons over which they presided, especially through the prism of Fryderyk Chopin’s achievements and biography, including female composers, pianists and singers directly or indirectly associated with him. A special place outside the field of music is reserved for George Sand – still perceived, primarily in the musicological community, mainly as Chopin’s life partner, with no account taken of her significant literary output and political and social beliefs.
The programme committee encourages the submission of proposals for papers in the following areas:
– albums and friendship books,
– Polish women practising music as amateurs,
– women practising music professionally,
– the activity of female composers and authors of schools of playing – Berlin, Vienna, Paris, London, the US,
– building the repertoire of female pianists (e.g. collections of Bach manuscripts),
– gender studies and the analysis of instrumental music,
– transnational perspectives on nineteenth-century women’s musical creativity and activity,
– non-Western influences on women’s music in the nineteenth century,
– migration and cultural exchange among female performers and composers,
– female musicians in salons,
– women and the music publishing market,
– the writing and political and social activity of George Sand.
Deadlines
The conference is planned for 3–5 December 2025.
Please submit proposed titles of papers and abstracts by 31 March 2025 to the following e-mail: conference2025@nifc.pl.
Abstracts, no more than 1800 characters in length, should contain the main hypothesis, information on the material analysed and the method employed, and also research results.
The Academic Committee will choose the papers no later than in May 2025.
Fee
The fee for participation in the Congress is 50 euro (200 PLN). It must be paid to the account of the Fryderyk Chopin Institute by the 15 November 2025.
See details
PL 71 1130 1017 0020 1462 3620 0008 (EUR)
or
PL 39 1130 1017 0020 1462 3620 0002 (PLN)
SWIFT CODE: GOSKPLPW
The organizer does not offer accommodation but does offer cold and warm meals for all participants during the breaks.
Conference language
Conference will be conducted in English.
Conference proceedings
Proceedings will be published subject to the organisers’ selection.
Queries
Please, send any queries to: conference2025@nifc.pl
Organiser
Narodowy Instytut Fryderyka Chopina
Tamka 43
00-355 Warsaw
Poland
Academic Committee
Halina Goldberg (Indiana University)
Jeffrey Kallberg (University of Pennsylvania)
Aneta Markuszewska (Warsaw University)
Kamila St?pie?-Kutera (The Fryderyk Chopin Institute)
Kamila St?pie?-Kutera
