Embodied Monologues Cathy Berberian and Theatrical Imagination September 5, 2025 Maynooth University, Ireland

In the year marking the official 100th anniversary of Cathy Berberian’s birth, a one-day symposium will celebrate the work of the American mezzo-soprano known as “the Callas of the Avant-Garde”. With a view to exploring the particular crosscurrents between the performative languages that forged New Music Theatre in post-world war II Europe, we situate Berberian at the centre of pioneering vocal experimentation while always seeking wider considerations as to her place in these crosscurrents. The symposium aims to establish a dialogue between scholars and practitioners from different backgrounds and lineages including music, theatre, media, performance, opera, gender studies, practice-based and embodied research. Artistic contributions (envoicements) from artist-researchers and practitioners relevant to the topic are equally welcome as well as scholarly interventions.