International Thematic School "Music, humanities and sciences": Pitch accuracy, intonation and perception

The second session of International Thematic School "Music, humanities and sciences" will take place from October 30 to November 3, 2023.

The Collegium Musicæ of Sorbonne University develops a programme of international thematic schools, whose ambition is to promote interdisciplinarity between humanities and sciences in the field of music. We aim to bring together young researchers (doctoral and post-doctoral students, etc.) from the Alliance 4EU+ and beyond, for a week of training including theoretical courses and practical workshops, and confronting tools and skills relative to a common base of interdisciplinary knowledge.

The second thematic school “Music and Science” is based on the perception of pitch and sound accuracy. Through a series of lessons and workshops, we propose to circumscribe the question through two broad perspectives: the cognitive approach to inner listening and perception, and the practical management of pitch, whether for instruments or voices, alone or in ensemble.

These two major aspects, reception and emission, will be examined through the prism of several perspectives, approached by the humanities, by the sciences and by practice, thus articulating musicology, acoustics and musical performance. These converging views raise several questions and learning objectives also in terms of multidisciplinarity. We will propose to question and evaluate collectively this multiplicity of approaches that will be articulated towards our specific object and that will be declined on several large topics, rising interdisciplinary questions:

  • the issue of perception and cognition of music, those of inner listening. This approach mobilises the question of the systems of representation that one has of accuracy, in its relativity, and the modalities of construction of these systems, which can be approached from psychoacoustic, historical, aesthetic and cultural perspectives.
  • the different practices of determining and managing pitch in musical practices, both in terms of the conception of sound masses (addressing the question of composition, instrumentation and arrangement of vocal and instrumental ensembles, all repertoires combined) and in terms of instrumental tuning and management of choral and orchestral pitch.

This original convergence between cognitive approaches, perception and musical practices, themselves emanating from technical constraints, artistic and empirical choices, brings to light a series of multiple parameters, both objective and aesthetic, which will be analysed through the prism of a fruitful interdisciplinarity through musicological, acoustical and musical practice perspectives.
 

Instructors

  • Nicolas AGULLO, conductor, Chœur et Orchestre de Sorbonne Université;
  • Elisa BARBESSI, post-doc researcher, Collegium Musicæ, Sorbonne Université;
  • Sylvain CARON, professor, Music Faculty, Université de Montréal;
  • Michèle CASTELLENGO, director of research emeritus CNRS, Lutheries-Acoustique-Musique, Institut Jean le Rond ∂'Alembert, Sorbonne Université;
  • Pierre CAZES, harpsichord, continuo and tuning and temperament professor, CNR d'Aubervilliers-La Courneuve, CNSMDP
  • Boris DOVAL, associate professor, Lutheries-Acoustique-Musique, Institut Jean le Rond ∂'Alembert, Sorbonne Université;
  • Claudia FRITZ, researcher, CNRS, Lutheries-Acoustique-Musique, Institut Jean le Rond ∂'Alembert, Sorbonne Université;
  • Philippe LALITTE, professor, Institut de recherche en musicologie, Sorbonne Université;
  • Sylvie LE BOMIN, professor, Institut de recherche en musicologie, Sorbonne Université;
  • Frédéric PINEAU, choral conductor, Chœur et Orchestre de Sorbonne Université;
  • Ester PINEDA, PhD Musicology  (Sorbonne Université-Université of Caen), pianist;
  • Théodora PSYCHOYOU, associate professor, Institut de recherche en musicologie, Sorbonne Université;

 

Detailed programme coming soon. 

Information

Dates: from October 30 to November 3, 2023 
Place: Fondation Royaumont (5 Rte de Chantilly, 95270 Asnières-sur-Oise) 
Registration fees: 250€ (includes tuition fees and full-board accommodation)

  • Application till September 20, 2023 (extended)
  • Notification of acceptance: September 18, 2023
  • Registration till October 2, 2023

Application form, CV and cover letter

Application till August 18, 2023 

Scientific committee

  • Élisa BARBESSI, musicologist and harpsichordist, post-doc, Collegium Musicæ, Sorbonne Université;
  • Pierre CAZES, harpsichordist and tuning specialist, professor at Conservatoire d'Aubervilliers and CNSMDP;
  • Boris DOVAL, associate professor in musical acoustics, Lutheries-Acoustique-Musique, Institut Jean le Rond ∂'Alembert, Sorbonne Université;
  • Benoît FABRE (co-chair), professor of acoustics, Lutheries-Acoustique-Musique, Institut Jean le Rond ∂'Alembert, Sorbonne Université;
  • Sylvie LE BOMIN, professor in ethnomusocology, Institut de recherche en musicologie, Sorbonne Université;
  • Thierry MANIGUET, curator, Musée de la musique, Cité de la musique – Philharmonie de Paris;
  • Théodora PSYCHOYOU (chair), associate professor in early music and history of music theory, Institut de recherche en musicologie, Sorbonne Université, director of Collegium Musicæ;
  • Barbara TILLMANN, researcher at the CNRS in cognitive science, Centre de recherche en neurosciences at Lyon

Organising committee

  • Mélanie Romain, Sales and Marketing Director, Seminars and Events Department, Fondation Royaumont;
  • Théodora Psychoyou, associate professor in early music and history of music theory, Institut de recherche en musicologie, Sorbonne Université, director of Collegium Musicæ;
  • Lou Squelbut, project manager, Collegium Musicæ. 

Programme of the School