The Art of Interpretation

The Royal Academy of Music, Aarhus/Aalborg, invites you to the final presentation of the KUV project “The Art of Interpretation” on June 18, 2024, in the Chamber Music Hall from 15:30 to 17:30. The project is supported by the Ministry of Culture, and the primary project participants are Docent Lasse Laursen, Associate Professor Henrik Knarborg, and Associate Professor Søren Rastogi.

When classical musicians interpret a work through a composer’s score, also known as interpretation, it can be unclear to most what is actually happening. Is the musician a communicator, an artist, a translator, or something entirely different? How does the hierarchy in this process work? Can a performance be true to the composer’s original intentions, or is interpretation always subjective? Can a work be performed incorrectly? Can the general audience evaluate an interpretation, or is it only for specialists? Is the work the composer’s creation, the musician’s performance, or the audience’s experience?

Throughout the project, a wide range of methods and approaches to interpretation have been explored, including multi-interpretation, cross-aesthetic inspired interpretation, superimposed interpretation, live vs. recording strategies, increased contextual awareness, as well as analysis and notation of interpretations. The results reveal many blind spots and untapped potentials in the interpretative practices of performing classical musicians.

At the event, the key findings will be presented and exemplified through audio recordings and video. After the presentation, Anne Gry Haugland from the Royal Danish Academy of Music will initiate and moderate a conversation, where the audience will have the opportunity to ask questions and delve deeper into the project.

In addition to the primary project participants, students Albin Axelsson, Liese-Lotte Bekeart, and Zsofi Persanyi have participated as contributors and sparring partners. Other collaborators include Aarhus Sinfonietta, flutist Charlotte Norholt, violinist Signe Madsen, Associate Professor at the Danish National School of Performing Arts Marion Reuter, and from the Royal Academy of Music, Aarhus/Aalborg, Docent Lena Gregersen, Associate Professor Juliana Hodkinson, and Associate Professor Merlyn Perez-Silva.

More about the project: interpretation.dk