Friday, 16 May 2025
Goldsmiths, University of London
Programme (to follow)
Registration (to follow)
Keynote speakers:
Şebnem Susam-Saraeva
Jeremy Sams
Translation of music has a long history which spans from the translation of opera libretti to translation within popular and audiovisual cultures, via poetry set to music and musicalized fiction. Due to its complex multimodal and interdisciplinary nature, the translation of music has received little attention within the field of translation studies. Recently, however, an interdisciplinary subfield of “Translation and Music” has been emerging (Desblache 2019: 68; Greenall et al. 2021: 21–22; Rędzioch-Korkuz 2024: 66). This fascinating new area has the potential to “enrich our understanding of what translation might entail, how far its boundaries can be extended and how it relates to other forms of expression” (Susam-Saraeva 2008: 191), when translation is increasingly more at risk of being seen as a mere mechanical process in the age of AI.
One of the most important challenges that the new subfield is facing “is the fact that such studies call for a multidisciplinary approach” (Susam-Saraeva 2008: 189): it needs specific multidisciplinary expertise not easily found among translators or musicians. Seeking to shed more light on how this challenge has been creatively addressed by practitioners across various fields, this conference explores the many forms that the practice of music translation can take. In particular, we are interested in hearing from musicians and music scholars working creatively with music, words, and translation; creative writers specialising in crafting lyrics or narratives for music, and translating music to narratives; translation scholars and translators working on the practice of translating music inter-linguistically or inter-semiotically. By bringing together diverse insights, this conference aims to foster new interdisciplinary collaborations and illuminate the creative aspect of music translation.
This interdisciplinary conference is organised by Dr Arianna Autieri, Dr Alexis Bennett and Dr Richard Scott.
We are offering limited travel bursaries for PGR students (£50 to £100). The bursaries will not cover the full costs of the participant but are meant to be a contribution towards their expenses. For application details, please see the Call for Papers.
Conference fee (including lunch and coffee)
- -£10 for Trinity College Dublin, Royal Irish Academy of Music, Goldsmiths students and staff, and for all PG students
- -£15 for other participants
The Conference is supported by a grant of the Modern Humanities Research Association
For more information please contact: Dr Arianna Autieri.
