The midway assessment is organised in two parts, and starts with a two-hour public seminar, followed by a closed meeting.
The purpose of the midway assessment is to evaluate the progress of the PhD project at a point when it is still possible to make small or more substantial changes.
Programme:
10:15 - 10:40 Welcome, and Presentation by Candidate Kristina Socanski Celik
10:45 - 11:45 Comments by, and discussion with Robert Sholl
11:45 - 12:00 Plenary discussion with the public
Following the public event, there will be a closed meeting between the candidate, invited opponent, and supervisors (12:00 - 12:30).
Summary:
In my research project, I investigate some modern conceptions of spirituality and raise questions around some of their limitations. Through an examination of compositional approaches and philosophical views of Ljubica Marić and Arvo Pärt, known for synthesizing elements originating from Byzantine chant with modernist means of expression, I search for a new, deeper understanding of spirituality through music. Departing from the immediate association with a spirituality of the Christian faith, I explore their music outside the traditionally religious context and engage with the idea of a spiritual space which may be sensed through their compositions. I explore the Octoechos, the ancient eight-fold system used for the composition of Byzantine chant as an open concept and investigate its place in the narrative of musical modernism. Situated in the context of modernism and spirituality, I discuss the symbiosis of archaic spiritual ideas and modernism, through an approach which seeks to transcend conventional thinking. I search for a new understanding of spirituality between the Church and the concert hall and engage with how thinking through music can expand perspectives on spirituality.