Research Catalogue

an international database for artistic research

• 3. Internal publication Research published in this issue are only for internal circulation within the Royal Conservatoire, The Hague.
• 2. Royal Conservatoire Investigations Royal Conservatoire Investigations
• 1. Master Research Projects All research in KC

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  We Are You - An Investigation into intersections between Western Contemporary Opera and Online Fan Culture (2025) author(s): Robin Fiedler published in: KC Research Portal
  Finding an audience we can relate to, or bringing our social circle into our audience is still a struggle for most younger composers. With the Western classical opera audiences ageing and the attempts to bring younger audiences into opera houses and concert halls, we need to ask ourselves as composers who we write for, and how we reach these people. My opera Serenoid which had its premiere in September 2024 at Tête-à-Tête Festival in London came out of a niche space of queer and disabled geek culture in creative online fandom communities that I have been part of since I was a teenager. These groups are hardly engaged with classical music as a genre, their creative focus is on visual art and writing, mostly around an established pop-culture franchise, in this case Star Trek. Often decried as cringy, the spaces in which they move have been melting pots for many people outside of the narrow representation of mainstream media in search for community and belonging since the arrival of the internet. The decision to take Serenoid as a story from an obscure niche space on the internet to the opera stage attempts to speak to its members and therefore open the doors my own community to become part of the “opera audience”. My research describes the process and outcomes of this experiment and hopes to prove that as classical composers we can speak to younger and diverse audiences by openly and authentically being part of the group we write for.
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  L'Art de doubler (2025) author(s): Anežka Drozdová published in: KC Research Portal
  Just as variety and change are the core principles of nature itself, they seem to be essential for music, too. This research examines doubles in the repertoire for flute between 1700–1750 as a specific type of variation. Originating as a vocal tradition of embellishing the second verses of airs de cour, the tradition continued in instrumental music by creating doubles mostly for songs and dance forms, such as Menuet, Gavotte or Sarabande and remained popular until it gradually evolved into the variation form in the second half of the 18th century. The role of the flute in this repertoire is unique thanks to the vogue of the airs the cour among flautists and composers for flute. The presented exposition traces the development of doubles in the flute repertoire of the first half of the 18th century. Highlighting the variety of unique compositional styles, the research distinguishes between three typological categories of doubles: diminutive, ornamental, and those presented in sets of variations, typical of a Galant sonata. The examination and analysis of a representative number of doubles led me to extract elements and patterns, typical for each category, and, in turn, this thorough study of the doubles allowed me to play them with a better understanding. Finally, the synthesis of both the theoretical and empirical approaches provided enough information and inspiration to compose doubles for other musical pieces from the same period. These newly composed doubles are included in the collection titled L’Art de doubler, attached to the exposition.
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  Ebb/Flow - Flow/Ebb: A Dialogue Between Visual Arts and Music (2025) author(s): Alex Designori published in: KC Research Portal
  This research explores the synergy between auditory and visual sensory impressions, investigating how music and visual arts can merge, interact, and resonate reciprocally to create a unique cross-modal performance. Central to this research is the collaboration with the visual artist Damiano Colombi. The focus is placed on two distinct types of interaction: large canvases enriching the visual space on stage, around which the musician moves, and digital projections created with TouchDesigner, a software that generates real-time visuals reacting to the music. These contrasting approaches shape an immersive experience, transforming sound into moving images and creating a dynamic interplay between structured visual elements and fluid digital projections. A central challenge of this research is to create a balanced interaction between the auditory and visual components, so that each artistic discipline complements and enhances the other, allowing a continuous dialogue between sound and image. Throughout the creative process, these ideas evolved organically, guided by continuous experimentation and reflection. By documenting the sensations, insights, and evolving artistic choices, this research not only explores the theoretical and technical intersections between music and visual arts but also highlights the deeply personal and intuitive nature of interdisciplinary collaboration. Ultimately, this research provides a framework for crafting audiovisual performances that foster a compelling and harmonious fusion of music and visual arts.
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  A study of Giovanni Battista Bovicelli's Regole, passaggi di musica (2025) author(s): Kristy van Dijk published in: KC Research Portal
  This research examines Giovanni Battista Bovicelli’s Regole, passaggi di musica (Venice, 1594), a Renaissance treatise on (vocal) ornamentation. By analyzing Bovicelli’s diminutions, this research aims to identify his characteristic stylistic elements as a composer and singer. Beyond defining these elements, the findings provide a solid foundation for comparing his style with that of Giovanni Bassano, previously studied, and for applying Bovicelli’s techniques in newly written diminutions. More broadly, this study contributes to a deeper understanding of late 16th-century Italian diminution practice. Bovicelli’s treatise offers information for singers about text placement, presents examples of diminutions for various intervals, cadences, and melodic contexts, and includes his own diminuted lines of well-known pieces of the time. This research focuses specifically on the examples of diminutions, analyzing them according to seven musical criteria: note values, range, intervals, melodic sequences, rhythmic patterns and/or sequences, standard figures such as trills and turns, and ficta application. Additionally, in cadences and melodic contexts, the extent to which the original melody is preserved is assessed. The results of this analysis are presented in tables and graphs for a clear overview. Additionally, the research includes a comparative analysis of Bovicelli’s and Bassano’s diminution styles, clarifying both their individual characteristics and, very carefully, broader trends in 16th-century Italian diminution practice. Furthermore, newly composed diminutions in Bovicelli’s style demonstrate the practical application of the findings. These diminutions are written on the well-known Anchor che col partire by Cipriano de Rore (1516-1565).
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  Meditating Through the Brass Instrument (2025) author(s): Eglė Liutkauskaitė published in: KC Research Portal
  This study examines the relationship between meditation and brass players' ability to cope with music-related mental challenges, as well as its effect on breathing. The results highlight that meditation could be beneficial for brass musicians, even though there were initial concerns that meditation might interfere with breathing during playing. The findings show that brass musicians might have additional tools for dealing with mental challenges without compromising their airflow and breath support. Future research could further explore brass-playing-specific meditations and tailor them to greater effectiveness. An experiment was conducted with two groups of conservatory brass players (experimental and control) to assess whether music-specific and general guided mindfulness meditations affect their ability to deal with music related mental challenges (MPA, negative self-perception and focus issues) and how they in particular affect participants’ breathing. The findings indicate that both types of meditation affect students’ abilities to deal with mental challenges in a positive way while mostly having either positive or no effect on their breathing and sound. The participants’ progress was assessed by using the Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire, the Mindfulness for Musicians Questionnaire, weekly forms evaluating MPA, negative self-perception and focus in different settings such as daily practice sessions, main subject lessons and performances as well as interviews. Furthermore, the Self-Experimentation Log suggests that aside from aforementioned benefits, one of the most visible short-term effects is enhanced focus that has been observed during practice sessions right after meditating.
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  \\Computing Counterpoint (2025) author(s): Francesco Elgorni published in: KC Research Portal
  How can counterpoint be computed? Instead of looking at counterpoint solely from a historical perspective and reducing it to "music trend of the past", the research contemplates counterpoint as generative technique while exploring its immense yet mechanical creative power through a small selection of case-studies. Finally, a few thoughts are spent on the meaning of rules in music and the role of the computer in historically informed practice is briefly investigated.
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