Opera Forward Festival

What Does National Identity Sound Like?

*Unfortunately we will not have a livestream for this program*

How can we comprehend the connection between politics and music? In what ways does ‘the canon’ shape national identity, and how do policies and grassroots movements influence this dynamic? By exploring the sounds of national identity, the Think Tank of the Opera Forward Festival 2025 presents its insights into the musical aspects of nationalism, focusing on the impact of canonization, politics, and identity.

While the Opera Forward Festival pushes the boundaries of new music on stage, the student researchers of the Opera Forward Festival Think Tank explore and critically examine fresh perspectives on music. This evening will begin with an academic and historical overview of the interaction between music and national identity by Krisztina Lajosi-Moore, followed by three panel discussions where the student researchers will present their insights on the national canon, the connection between music and politics and the shaping of cultural identities.

This programme is part of the Opera Forward Festival 2025. The Opera Forward Festival Think Tank is an international group of students from across the Netherlands whose academic and artistic practices critically explore arts, culture, politics, identity, and performance.

About the speakers

The members of the OFF Think Tank 2025 are Mika Alberg (NLD), Sophie van Beers (NLD), Pascale Bosboom (NLD), Caroline Couch, (USA), Róisín Daly (IRE), Sandra Harminc (ROU), Michela Pegurri (ITA), Sultan Prasasti (IDN), Unnur Hlíf Rúnarsdóttir (ISL), and Yuni Zeng (CHN).

Krisztina Lajosi-Moore is a cultural historian and an associate professor of modern European culture in the UvA’s Department of European Studies. Her main expertise is the cultural history of opera, nationalism and transnationalism studies, with a special intersection between history, media, and political thought.

Caroline Couch (moderator) is a United States Fulbright Student at Radboud University. Her research concerns innovating opera for futures friendly to culture and climate.