Raphael has earned his Dr. Artium degree from the Kunstuniversität Graz. His dissertation "Musical Invention and Vocal Idiom: Exploring Expressive Agency and Empathy through Composition" was supervised by Tom Cipullo, Michael Edgerton, Ulf Bästlein, and Andreas Dorschel and received highest distinction.

‍

Abstract

For centuries, composers and singers have pushed each other’s horizons to

create a rich repertoire of vocal works at the heart of the classical music canon.

In contemporary music, however, a tension is increasingly felt between the

composer’s desire to be inventive and the physical limitations set by the

singer’s body. Today the conservative nature of operatic tradition is often

misunderstood by composers as old-fashioned and an obstacle to musical

innovation whereas many new, experimental works dismiss the very techniques

singers spend their careers trying to master. As a composer, coach, and

conductor of opera, I see this dichotomy as a fruitful challenge. My question

remains: How can a holistic understanding of the vocal idiom enable composers

to invent and organize musical material in new ways? How can composers and

performers work together to create new works which challenge conventions and

push the expressive limits of singing? In short, how can we look back to move

forward?

‍

This artistic research project explores the conventions of classical singing to

create innovative compositions rooted in the vocal idiom. Through collaborating

directly with singers and examining the composer-performer relationship, I

investigate expressive agencies of lyric diction, bel canto vocal techniques, and

the role empathy plays in compositional processes. This artistic research project

seeks to bridge classical vocal traditions with contemporary composition

practices while unraveling the complexities of vocal music, integrating

expressive techniques, and understanding empathic processes. By addressing

key research questions and employing interdisciplinary methodologies, this

dissertation aims to illuminate the emotive power of the human voice and its

implications for musical creation, setting the stage for an in-depth exploration of

musical invention and the vocal idiom.

‍

‍

Raphael has earned his Dr. Artium degree from the Kunstuniversität Graz. His dissertation "Musical Invention and Vocal Idiom: Exploring Expressive Agency and Empathy through Composition" was supervised by Tom Cipullo, Michael Edgerton, Ulf Bästlein, and Andreas Dorschel and received highest distinction.

‍

Abstract

For centuries, composers and singers have pushed each other’s horizons to

create a rich repertoire of vocal works at the heart of the classical music canon.

In contemporary music, however, a tension is increasingly felt between the

composer’s desire to be inventive and the physical limitations set by the

singer’s body. Today the conservative nature of operatic tradition is often

misunderstood by composers as old-fashioned and an obstacle to musical

innovation whereas many new, experimental works dismiss the very techniques

singers spend their careers trying to master. As a composer, coach, and

conductor of opera, I see this dichotomy as a fruitful challenge. My question

remains: How can a holistic understanding of the vocal idiom enable composers

to invent and organize musical material in new ways? How can composers and

performers work together to create new works which challenge conventions and

push the expressive limits of singing? In short, how can we look back to move

forward?

‍

This artistic research project explores the conventions of classical singing to

create innovative compositions rooted in the vocal idiom. Through collaborating

directly with singers and examining the composer-performer relationship, I

investigate expressive agencies of lyric diction, bel canto vocal techniques, and

the role empathy plays in compositional processes. This artistic research project

seeks to bridge classical vocal traditions with contemporary composition

practices while unraveling the complexities of vocal music, integrating

expressive techniques, and understanding empathic processes. By addressing

key research questions and employing interdisciplinary methodologies, this

dissertation aims to illuminate the emotive power of the human voice and its

implications for musical creation, setting the stage for an in-depth exploration of

musical invention and the vocal idiom.

‍

‍

Raphael has earned his Dr. Artium degree from the Kunstuniversität Graz. His dissertation "Musical Invention and Vocal Idiom: Exploring Expressive Agency and Empathy through Composition" was supervised by Tom Cipullo, Michael Edgerton, Ulf Bästlein, and Andreas Dorschel and received highest distinction.

‍

Abstract

For centuries, composers and singers have pushed each other’s horizons to

create a rich repertoire of vocal works at the heart of the classical music canon.

In contemporary music, however, a tension is increasingly felt between the

composer’s desire to be inventive and the physical limitations set by the

singer’s body. Today the conservative nature of operatic tradition is often

misunderstood by composers as old-fashioned and an obstacle to musical

innovation whereas many new, experimental works dismiss the very techniques

singers spend their careers trying to master. As a composer, coach, and

conductor of opera, I see this dichotomy as a fruitful challenge. My question

remains: How can a holistic understanding of the vocal idiom enable composers

to invent and organize musical material in new ways? How can composers and

performers work together to create new works which challenge conventions and

push the expressive limits of singing? In short, how can we look back to move

forward?

‍

This artistic research project explores the conventions of classical singing to

create innovative compositions rooted in the vocal idiom. Through collaborating

directly with singers and examining the composer-performer relationship, I

investigate expressive agencies of lyric diction, bel canto vocal techniques, and

the role empathy plays in compositional processes. This artistic research project

seeks to bridge classical vocal traditions with contemporary composition

practices while unraveling the complexities of vocal music, integrating

expressive techniques, and understanding empathic processes. By addressing

key research questions and employing interdisciplinary methodologies, this

dissertation aims to illuminate the emotive power of the human voice and its

implications for musical creation, setting the stage for an in-depth exploration of

musical invention and the vocal idiom.

‍

‍

Raphael has earned his Dr. Artium degree from the Kunstuniversität Graz. His dissertation "Musical Invention and Vocal Idiom: Exploring Expressive Agency and Empathy through Composition" was supervised by Tom Cipullo, Michael Edgerton, Ulf Bästlein, and Andreas Dorschel and received highest distinction.

‍

Abstract

For centuries, composers and singers have pushed each other’s horizons to

create a rich repertoire of vocal works at the heart of the classical music canon.

In contemporary music, however, a tension is increasingly felt between the

composer’s desire to be inventive and the physical limitations set by the

singer’s body. Today the conservative nature of operatic tradition is often

misunderstood by composers as old-fashioned and an obstacle to musical

innovation whereas many new, experimental works dismiss the very techniques

singers spend their careers trying to master. As a composer, coach, and

conductor of opera, I see this dichotomy as a fruitful challenge. My question

remains: How can a holistic understanding of the vocal idiom enable composers

to invent and organize musical material in new ways? How can composers and

performers work together to create new works which challenge conventions and

push the expressive limits of singing? In short, how can we look back to move

forward?

‍

This artistic research project explores the conventions of classical singing to

create innovative compositions rooted in the vocal idiom. Through collaborating

directly with singers and examining the composer-performer relationship, I

investigate expressive agencies of lyric diction, bel canto vocal techniques, and

the role empathy plays in compositional processes. This artistic research project

seeks to bridge classical vocal traditions with contemporary composition

practices while unraveling the complexities of vocal music, integrating

expressive techniques, and understanding empathic processes. By addressing

key research questions and employing interdisciplinary methodologies, this

dissertation aims to illuminate the emotive power of the human voice and its

implications for musical creation, setting the stage for an in-depth exploration of

musical invention and the vocal idiom.

‍

‍

Raphael has earned his Dr. Artium degree from the Kunstuniversität Graz. His dissertation "Musical Invention and Vocal Idiom: Exploring Expressive Agency and Empathy through Composition" was supervised by Tom Cipullo, Michael Edgerton, Ulf Bästlein, and Andreas Dorschel and received highest distinction.

‍

Abstract

For centuries, composers and singers have pushed each other’s horizons to

create a rich repertoire of vocal works at the heart of the classical music canon.

In contemporary music, however, a tension is increasingly felt between the

composer’s desire to be inventive and the physical limitations set by the

singer’s body. Today the conservative nature of operatic tradition is often

misunderstood by composers as old-fashioned and an obstacle to musical

innovation whereas many new, experimental works dismiss the very techniques

singers spend their careers trying to master. As a composer, coach, and

conductor of opera, I see this dichotomy as a fruitful challenge. My question

remains: How can a holistic understanding of the vocal idiom enable composers

to invent and organize musical material in new ways? How can composers and

performers work together to create new works which challenge conventions and

push the expressive limits of singing? In short, how can we look back to move

forward?

‍

This artistic research project explores the conventions of classical singing to

create innovative compositions rooted in the vocal idiom. Through collaborating

directly with singers and examining the composer-performer relationship, I

investigate expressive agencies of lyric diction, bel canto vocal techniques, and

the role empathy plays in compositional processes. This artistic research project

seeks to bridge classical vocal traditions with contemporary composition

practices while unraveling the complexities of vocal music, integrating

expressive techniques, and understanding empathic processes. By addressing

key research questions and employing interdisciplinary methodologies, this

dissertation aims to illuminate the emotive power of the human voice and its

implications for musical creation, setting the stage for an in-depth exploration of

musical invention and the vocal idiom.

‍

‍