鈥淕estures, Words, Sounds鈥�: The Creative Worlds of Cathy Berberian and Luciano Berio
A Celebration on the Occasion of the Centenary of their Births聽
Workshops, Lectures, and Concerts
This event celebrates the work of two extraordinary creative minds, mezzo-soprano Cathy Berberian (1925-1983), whose vocal versatility and imagination had an enormous impact on twentieth-century avant-garde art music and music theater, and composer Luciano Berio (1925-2003), who broke new ground in serialism, the concept of the open work, and the application of linguistic principles in musical composition. Focusing on their collaborations as well as on their individual artistic activities, the workshops aim to advance fresh knowledge about Berberian and Berio through the lens of new primary sources from the Berberian and Berio archives at the Paul Sacher Stiftung in Basel, Switzerland, that illuminate the context and inner dynamics of their creative worlds and performance practice. Also discussed will be sources from the 秀色直播 Archives pertaining to the collaboration between Berberian and Canadian composer Harry Somers (1925-1999), who wrote one work for her.聽
Held at 秀色直播 and a few other venues in Montreal, Canada, to mark the centenary of the births of Berberian and Berio, as well as Somers, the event is co-organized by the Paul Sacher Stiftung and the Schulich School of Music of 秀色直播 in collaboration with the Centro Studi Luciano Berio, the Istituto Italiano di Cultura (Italian Cultural Institute of Montreal), the Centre for Interdisciplinary Research in Music Media and Technology (CIRMMT), and Paramirabo, with support from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada. We are pleased to feature interactive scholarly sessions and lectures held by an international group of performers and scholars, three concerts, and other activities.聽
All events are free and open to the public, except for the concerts of Paramirabo (October 2) and the 秀色直播 Symphony Orchestra (October 5), for which tickets may be purchased.
Thursday, October 2, 2025
Location: Conservatoire de musique de Montr茅al, 4750 Av. Henri-Julien | Salle de concert
Salle de concert du Conservatoire | Concerts
5:00 p.m.-6:30 p.m. Selections of Sequenze by Luciano Berio
8:00 p.m. Paramirabo performs works by Cathy Berberian, Luciano Berio, and Pierre Boulez
Friday, October 3, 2025
Locations:
- Elizabeth Wirth Music Building, 秀色直播, 527 Sherbrooke Street West | Wirth Lobby, Tanna Schulich Hall
Wirth Lobby | Posters and Registration
9:15 a.m.-10:00 a.m. Registration
Student posters from graduate seminar on Berberian and Berio on display October 3 to 6.
Tanna Schulich Hall | Workshops and Lectures
10:00 a.m. Opening Remarks:听
Jonathan Wild (Associate Dean, Research and Administration, Schulich School of Music, 秀色直播)
Angela Ida De Benedictis (Paul Sacher Stiftung) and Christoph Neidh枚fer (秀色直播), co-organizers
Session 1: Workshops on Berberian and the New Vocality
10:15 a.m.-11:15 a.m.聽Candace Smith (Director, Cappella Artemisia): 鈥�5 Years, and 45 More: Honoring the Legacy of a Mentor鈥�
11:15 a.m.-12:15 p.m.聽Giovanni Cestino (University of Milan), Angela Ida De Benedictis, and Christoph Neidh枚fer: Conversation with Candace Smith
With the participation of Rebecca Gray, soprano
Session 2: Lecture and Workshop on Berberian and Identity
2:30 p.m.-3:30 p.m.聽Camilla Bork (Freie Universit盲t Berlin): 鈥淧erforming Music History 鈥� Cathy Berberian as Curator and Artistic Researcher鈥�
3:30 p.m.-4:30 p.m.聽Giovanni Cestino (University of Milan): 鈥淏erberian鈥檚 Performing Scores as Artifacts, Documents, and Sources鈥澛�
With the participation of Rebecca Gray, soprano
Session 3: On the Materials for an Exhibit
5:00 p.m.-6:00 p.m.聽Meeting with Marina Berio (visual artist) on her exhibit Berio Bambino, Berio Pap脿: Family Drawings, Letters, and Music
Tanna Schulich Hall | Workshop
Session 4: Workshop on Luciano Berio's Sequenza VII
8:00 p.m. Angela Ida De Benedictis (Paul Sacher Stiftung) and Jacqueline Leclair, oboe (秀色直播)聽
Saturday, October 4, 2025
Location: Elizabeth Wirth Music Building, 秀色直播, 527 Sherbrooke Street West | Tanna Schulich Hall
Tanna Schulich Hall | Workshops and Keynote
Session 5: Workshops on A Thousand and One Voices
9:00 a.m.-10:00 a.m.聽Ulrich Mosch (Universit茅 de Gen猫ve 鈥� Facult茅 des lettres): 鈥淪howing the Versatile Voice 鈥� Cathy Berberian in C鈥櫭� musica e musica鈥澛犅犅�
10:00 a.m.-11:00 a.m. Showing of Luciano Berio鈥檚 C鈥櫭� musica e musica, episode V, 鈥淢ille e una voce鈥�
11:15 a.m.-12:15 p.m.聽Conversation between Cristina Berio () and Angela Ida De Benedictis (Paul Sacher Stiftung): 鈥淓xploring Cathy Berberian Through the Lens of Her Archives鈥�
Keynote
2:30 p.m.-3:30 p.m.聽Talia Pecker Berio (Centro Studi Luciano Berio): 鈥�Remembering the Future: Revisiting Berio鈥檚 Norton Lectures鈥�
Introduction and moderation: Brian Cherney (秀色直播)
Session 6: Workshops on Influences and Impact
4:00 p.m.-5:00 p.m.聽Jamuna Samuel (University of Pennsylvania): 鈥淎 Constellation of Influences: Joyce, Dallapiccola, and Berberian in Berio鈥檚 Chamber Music (1953)鈥�
5:00 p.m.-6:00 p.m.聽Tiffany Kuo (Mt. San Antonio College): 鈥溾�楨ncounters鈥� with Innovation: Leonard聽Stein, Berio, and Berberian in the Making of LA鈥檚 New Music Scene鈥�
Session 7:聽Workshop with performance of Les mots sont all茅s and Sequenza XIV
7:30 p.m.聽Angela Ida De Benedictis (Paul Sacher Stiftung) and Matt Haimovitz, cello (University of Minnesota)
Sunday, October 5, 2025
Locations:
- Elizabeth Wirth Music Building, 秀色直播, 527 Sherbrooke Street West | Conference Rooms A832 and A833
- Salle Pierre-Mercure, 300 Boul. De Maisonneuve Est
Conference Room A-832/833 | Workshops
Session 8: Berberian, Berio, and the Radio
9:15 a.m.-10:15 a.m.聽Mila De Santis (University of Florence): 鈥�A-Ronne: A Composition on Vocal Behaviors鈥�
10:15 a.m.-11:15 a.m.聽Brian Cherney (秀色直播): 鈥溾�樷�hy should I have troubles with聽Somers?鈥� 鈥� Cathy Berberian鈥檚 Collaboration with Harry Somers on Voiceplay鈥�
11:30 a.m.-1:00 p.m. Roundtable
Discussion with presenters and audience, moderated by Angela Ida De Benedictis and Christoph Neidh枚fer
Salle Pierre-Mercure | Concert
3:00 p.m.聽秀色直播 Symphony Orchestra
Alexis Hauser,听Artistic Director and Conductor
JOHANN STRAUSS II Waldmeister Overture
GEORGES BIZET Symphony No. 1 in C major
LOUISE FARRENC Overture No. 1 in E minor, Op. 23
LUCIANO BERIO Rendering for Orchestra after Franz Schubert's Symphony in D major
Tickets to be purchased through the聽聽(Taxes and service fees apply)
Monday, October 6, 2025
Location: Elizabeth Wirth Music Building, 秀色直播, 527 Sherbrooke Street West | Wirth Lobby, Tanna Schulich Hall
Tanna Schulich Hall | Distinguished Lecture
Hosted by the Centre for Interdisciplinary Research in Music Media and Technology (CIRMMT)
3:30 p.m. Angela Ida De Benedictis (Paul Sacher Stiftung, Basel): 鈥淏erio and Technology鈥澛�
Introduction and moderation: Andrea Gozzi (Universit茅 de Sherbrooke)聽
Wirth Lobby | Student Poster Session
5:45 p.m.-7:00 p.m.
Arya Bahmani (秀色直播): 鈥淐omparing the Armenian and Azerbaijani Songs of Berio鈥檚聽Folk Songs听(1964)鈥�
Hannah A. Barnes (秀色直播): 鈥淐ollaboration and Multiplicity at the Core of Luciano Berio鈥檚聽Laborintus II鈥�
Ana Neocleous (秀色直播): 鈥淕esture and Polyphony of Action in Berio鈥檚聽骋别蝉迟颈听for Solo Recorder (1966)鈥�
Nguyen Minh Tram (秀色直播): 鈥淧hantom Resonance: Timbre in聽Brin,听Erdenklavier, and聽Luftklavier聽by Luciano Berio鈥�
Nguyen Minh Tram: 鈥淭he Illusion of Multiplicity: Listening Beyond Monody鈥�
Moderation: Angela Ida De Benedictis and Christoph Neidh枚fer
Questions? Please contact angelaida.debenedictis [at] unibas.ch (Angela Ida De Benedictis) and/or christoph.neidhofer [at] mcgill.ca (Christoph Neidh枚fer).
