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Arts
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Creating Musical Experiences
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Creating Musical Experiences

A special issue of Arts (ISSN 2076-0752).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 26 June 2026 | Viewed by 9748

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Róisín Blunnie

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Theology, Philosophy, and Music, Dublin City University, D09 N920 Dublin, Ireland
Interests: choral studies; conducting and leadership; music in its historical and cultural contexts; creative collaboration; music performance and recording
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Orla Flanagan

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Creative Arts, Trinity College Dublin, D02 PN40 Dublin, Ireland
Interests: choral conducting; practice-led research; historical and contemporary repertoire; interpretation, style and performance

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The experience of musical performance often represents the culmination of an extensive artistic journey involving many considerations and inspirations, whether aesthetic, practical, literary, thematic, context-specific, or otherwise. For this Special Issue, we invite scholarly articles that explore the creation and curation of artistic experiences in the field of music. Research may encompass areas such as repertoire and programming, concert design and performance, collaborative composition or collaborative creative processes more broadly, and may pertain to live music or to non-live contexts, such as recordings, as a means of achieving experiential artistic outcomes. Topics may have a historical or contemporary focus and may arise from practitioner–researcher and/or academic musicologist perspectives, among others. Individual and collaborative articles are welcome.

Dr. Róisín Blunnie
Dr. Orla Flanagan
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a double-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Arts is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 1400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • music performance
  • artistic programming
  • concert design
  • curating musical experiences
  • historical and contemporary performance design
  • collaborative creativity and performance

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Published Papers (7 papers)

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Research

24 pages, 386 KB  
Article
Curating Awareness and Hope: Performing Field and Finzi as Gentle Climate Activism
by Mine Doğantan-Dack
Arts 2026, 15(4), 84; https://doi.org/10.3390/arts15040084 - 17 Apr 2026
Viewed by 628
Abstract
This article presents an autoethnographic narrative account of curating and performing two pieces for solo piano and string orchestra—Climate Concerto by Brian Field and Eclogue by Gerald Finzi—to advocate for climate action. It discusses the selection of a concert venue that could [...] Read more.
This article presents an autoethnographic narrative account of curating and performing two pieces for solo piano and string orchestra—Climate Concerto by Brian Field and Eclogue by Gerald Finzi—to advocate for climate action. It discusses the selection of a concert venue that could be “thickly lived”, offering layers of cultural, historical and aesthetic resonance, and a concert date that could generate “interaction chains”, where engagement in one event motivates engagement in others. The article reflects on the multiple forms of loss brought about by the climate emergency, exploring Field’s musical portrayal of environmental loss and Finzi’s evocation of a harmonious human-nature relationship, which highlights a way of being-in-the-world that has been lost. In response to pervasive pessimism and dystopian narratives in climate communication, the discussion foregrounds hope as a powerful motivator for positive action, showing how the narrative scope of Field’s large-scale forms and the aesthetic beauty of Finzi’s music can elicit felt hope. The article also advocates for gentle musical activism for climate action, emphasising music’s capacity to cultivate relational sensitivity, ethical responsiveness, and collective responsibility toward each other and the world—even amid ecological crisis, social fragmentation, and uncertainty. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Creating Musical Experiences)
19 pages, 944 KB  
Article
Curating and Creating Collective Artistic Experiences: The Role of the Choral Conductor
by Róisín Blunnie and Orla Flanagan
Arts 2026, 15(3), 43; https://doi.org/10.3390/arts15030043 - 26 Feb 2026
Viewed by 2112
Abstract
The commonly recognised image of a choral conductor is of a person who stands in front of a group of singers and uses a set of gestures to direct them in performance. In order to arrive at this moment of shared musical experience, [...] Read more.
The commonly recognised image of a choral conductor is of a person who stands in front of a group of singers and uses a set of gestures to direct them in performance. In order to arrive at this moment of shared musical experience, however, there is a long journey of preparation that must take place, from devising an artistic concept, to formulating a coherent and stimulating programme of repertoire, to realising such a programme by engaging in an extended period of rehearsal that encompasses vocal, musical, expressive, linguistic, and emotional facets and gathers diverse individual singers into a unified choral instrument with a common expressive purpose. In this article, two experienced choral conductors present structured reflective exegeses on artistic projects undertaken with their respective chamber choirs. Drawing on reflective approaches aligned with practice-based/artistic research, and on leading voices in repertoire programming and choral studies more broadly, the authors articulate and analyse their creative processes, highlighting considerations and goals for choral conductors both in designing programmes as a basis for impactful collective musical experiences and in enacting these experiences in a spirit of co-creation with choir members and other artistic contributors. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Creating Musical Experiences)
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12 pages, 980 KB  
Article
The Japanese Hornpipe: Creative Alteration and Palimpsestic Identity in the Whistling Tradition of Ireland
by Robert Harvey
Arts 2026, 15(2), 40; https://doi.org/10.3390/arts15020040 - 13 Feb 2026
Viewed by 979
Abstract
Irish traditional music is typically characterised as an ‘oral tradition’ which has been handed down from one generation to the next. Though the process of reworking has been considered central to its transmission, little consideration has thus far been given to the ways [...] Read more.
Irish traditional music is typically characterised as an ‘oral tradition’ which has been handed down from one generation to the next. Though the process of reworking has been considered central to its transmission, little consideration has thus far been given to the ways in which the music develops diachronically and what factors influence these performance decisions. Cottrell considers the act of performance as a palimpsest where traces of earlier renditions can still be identified in any given performance. Taking the example of ‘The Japanese Hornpipe’, this article will consider the ways in which individual actors and regional styles can reshape fundamental melodic characteristics through creative alteration in successive performances as the melody passed from circus performance act through the Donegal fiddle tradition and the whistling competition at Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Creating Musical Experiences)
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15 pages, 4461 KB  
Article
Conceptualising Sound, Inferring Structure, Making Meaning: Artistic Considerations in Ravel’s ‘La vallée des cloches’
by Billy O’Brien
Arts 2026, 15(1), 23; https://doi.org/10.3390/arts15010023 - 21 Jan 2026
Viewed by 1141
Abstract
Processes of preparing repertoire for performance in the field of artistic pianism are far from linear, often involving many epistemic modes contributing to an ever-evolving relationship between the pianist, the score and their instrument. Beyond the absorption and internalisation of the score (note-learning, [...] Read more.
Processes of preparing repertoire for performance in the field of artistic pianism are far from linear, often involving many epistemic modes contributing to an ever-evolving relationship between the pianist, the score and their instrument. Beyond the absorption and internalisation of the score (note-learning, memorisation, addressing technical issues), a range of contingent elements preoccupy pianists in their artistic journey of interpretation. These multifarious influences and approaches have increasingly been acknowledged in the field of Artistic Research, which has for some time sought to move beyond textualist, singular readings of works as bearers of fixed meanings and recognise the creative role of performers and the experience they bring. Through scholarly and phenomenological enquiry concerning the practice of ‘La vallée des cloches’ from Miroirs by Maurice Ravel, in this article, I attempt to represent the multi-modal complexity involved in the creative process of interpretation from my perspective as pianist and artistic researcher. I present novel engagement with scholarship in a multidisciplinary sense, demonstrating a dialogue through which scholarship and performance can interact. I reveal new insights about ‘La vallée des cloches’ through the analysis of my own diary entries logged over three practice sessions, exploring the themes of sound conceptualisation, the consideration of musical structure, and the creation of meaning. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Creating Musical Experiences)
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15 pages, 283 KB  
Article
‘Look! […] Things People Can’t See!’ Wordbooks, Reader-Listenership, and Invisible Theatre in Handel’s Oratorios
by Cathal Twomey
Arts 2025, 14(6), 144; https://doi.org/10.3390/arts14060144 - 17 Nov 2025
Viewed by 902
Abstract
In eighteenth-century England, anyone attending an opera, an oratorio, or even a church service would typically have had a printed ‘wordbook’ made available to them to read during the performance. Such wordbooks, whether available for purchase or distributed free of charge, contained the [...] Read more.
In eighteenth-century England, anyone attending an opera, an oratorio, or even a church service would typically have had a printed ‘wordbook’ made available to them to read during the performance. Such wordbooks, whether available for purchase or distributed free of charge, contained the words to be sung (the libretto), usually with translations if necessary, and sometimes also explanatory footnotes, prefaces or plot summaries, or lists of dramatis personae. Examining several oratorios of George Frideric Handel, especially Saul and Theodora, this article asks how the wordbook influenced the drama of a performed work and to what extent this impact made it necessary to have an actively reading audience. The article also explores the use of stage directions in oratorio wordbooks, arguing that they provide rich opportunities for the audience’s imagination by suggesting images that the performance alone cannot provide (since English oratorio probably included no stage action). It notes the wordbook’s necessity in determining which singer is portraying which character, as well as the expressive and dramatic use to which these character identifications can be put. And it compares the practices of different oratorio librettists, suggesting great sensitivity to the unique imaginative power of the oratorio-with-wordbook medium. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Creating Musical Experiences)
19 pages, 805 KB  
Article
Antiphonal to Ambisonics: A Practice-Based Investigation of Spatial Choral Composition Through Built Environment Materiality
by Declan Tuite
Arts 2025, 14(6), 135; https://doi.org/10.3390/arts14060135 - 4 Nov 2025
Viewed by 1297
Abstract
This paper presents Macalla, a practice-based research project investigating how architectural spaces function as co-creative instruments in Ambisonic choral composition. Comprising four original compositions, Macalla employed Nelson’s praxis model, integrating creative practice with critical reflection through iterative cycles of composition, anechoic vocal [...] Read more.
This paper presents Macalla, a practice-based research project investigating how architectural spaces function as co-creative instruments in Ambisonic choral composition. Comprising four original compositions, Macalla employed Nelson’s praxis model, integrating creative practice with critical reflection through iterative cycles of composition, anechoic vocal recording, and site-specific re-recording. The project explored six contrasting architecturally significant spaces including a gaol, churches, and civic offices. Using a stop-motion stem playback methodology, studio-recorded vocals were reintroduced to architectural spaces, revealing emergent sonic properties that challenged compositional intentions and generated new musical possibilities. The resulting Ambisonic works were disseminated through multiple formats including VR/360 video via YouTube, Octophonic concert performance, and immersive headphone experiences to maximize accessibility. Analysis of listener behaviours identified distinct engagement patterns, seekers actively hunting optimal positions and dwellers settling into meditative reception, suggesting spatial compositions contain multiple potential works activated through listener choice. The project contributes empirical evidence of acoustic agency, with documented sonic transformations demonstrating that architectural spaces actively participate in composition rather than passively containing it. This research offers methodological frameworks for site-specific spatial audio creation while advancing understanding of how Ambisonic technology can transform the composer-performer-listener relationship in contemporary musical practice. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Creating Musical Experiences)
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10 pages, 194 KB  
Article
“I Wanna See It Boil”: Satire as Eco-Political Performance in Talking Heads’s “(Nothing But) Flowers” (1988) and Anohni’s “4 Degrees” (2015)
by Håvard Haugland Bamle
Arts 2025, 14(4), 96; https://doi.org/10.3390/arts14040096 - 15 Aug 2025
Viewed by 1192
Abstract
This article examines the use of satire in the song lyrics of two eco-themed pop songs: Talking Heads’s “(Nothing but) Flowers” (1988) and Anohni’s “4 Degrees” (2015). A close listening approach to these songs reveals ironic discrepancies between the experience produced by musical [...] Read more.
This article examines the use of satire in the song lyrics of two eco-themed pop songs: Talking Heads’s “(Nothing but) Flowers” (1988) and Anohni’s “4 Degrees” (2015). A close listening approach to these songs reveals ironic discrepancies between the experience produced by musical performance and the sentiments expressed in the song lyrics. A rhetorical framework informs how an examination of such discrepancies may enable new perceptions of the environmental theme to come to mind through what Charles A. Knight calls a satiric “frame of mind”. The satire in these songs not only targets attitudes to convey a moral judgment on them but also provokes audiences to undertake the task of self-examination. If successful, satire in popular song lyrics can contribute to the reconfiguration of listeners’ perceptions of the relationship between humans and nonhuman nature. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Creating Musical Experiences)
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