“The Idea of North: Sibelius, Gould and Symbolic Landscapes”

Laura Gray

Friday, November 27, 2009
Conrad Grebel Chapel
7:30 pm
Reception to follow

This lecture will focus on the mythical “North” and how this symbolic landscape has been imprinted on two cultural icons - the Finnish composer, Jean Sibelius, and the Canadian musical figure, Glenn Gould. Using Gould’s 1967 radio programme “The Idea of North” as a point of departure, we will explore through such themes as isolation, wilderness and genius how Gould and Sibelius have in effect become symbolic landscapes themselves.

About the Speaker

Laura Gray is associate professor of Music at Conrad Grebel University College. Her main areas of research and publication include the music of Jean Sibelius, the 20th-Century British Symphony, and early 20th-century music criticism and aesthetics. She has conducted research in Finland, England, and New York, presented scholarly papers nationally and internationally, and has several published papers, including some in The Sibelius Companion and Sibelius Forum.

List of past Eby Lecture speakers