FOCUS on You is an inspiring talent support program that provides assistance to young performers and composers, working in the field of classical music. This May, FOY highlights the importance of dramaturgy in musical performances through its FOCUS on Performance Dramaturgy workshop. The event will focus on how musicians and professionals working in classical music can build an engaging program emphasizing contemporary and historic compositions with different genres and mediums.
The classical music scene is constantly evolving, requiring musicians and cultural professionals to adapt. Nowadays, the boundaries between old and new music are not as distinct as they used to be; in the classical musical world, music of various genres and eras coexist, collectively forming the repertoire of individual concerts, musical events, and series. However, it is important to consider the narrative thread along which we assemble each program within this system.
“We tend to view dramaturgy as text-based work, but devising the structure of a musical performance can also be a dramaturgical task”, says Ajtony Csaba, trainer of the FOCUS on Performance Dramaturgy workshop. “I believe it’s worth considering the dramaturgy of a performance as an intermedial or interdisciplinary, a kind of coproduction between different genres and mediums. Mastering this can benefit every practicing musician,” he adds.
Creating a performance’s concept and narrative requires considering several important factors. On the one hand, choosing an aesthetic guideline by which the repertoire can be integrated into an individual and/or cultural context is important. It is also important to be aware of the technical aspects of each piece: what is known about the circumstances of its creation, what is its performance apparatus, what aspects can and should be highlighted, how to place the performers in the performance space, etc. To acquire this knowledge, it is also necessary to know how to use effectively the databases that may contain the necessary information.
Ajtony Csaba’s workshop aims to help participants not only with the theoretical but also with the practical issues. “There are a lot of excellent musicians in the field, but it is important to see that most concert organisers – in addition to high professional standards – prefer to choose a program that is experience-based or based on a visual narrative trying to engage the audience through multiple senses,” says the trainer. With many years of experience as a composer, performer, and artistic director, he wants to provide participants with a toolkit that will effectively help them solve dramaturgical problems and re-evaluate concepts in light of ever-changing trends and expectations.
The FOCUS on Performance Dramaturgy workshop will be held online in English on 18 May 2024. For more information about the event, the mission of FOCUS on You and other FOY events, visit our website.
