International Manchester Beethoven research symposia
This informal research group, inaugurated in 2009 and directed by Professor Barry Cooper, is devoted to the exploration of the life and works of Beethoven.
The group meets for symposia five or six times per year, normally on Friday afternoons, to examine a specific topic associated with Beethoven. Formal research papers are followed by open discussion.
The symposia generally last around three to four hours, with a refreshment break in the middle, and are open to all Beethoven enthusiasts, whether or not they wish to present a paper or contribute to the discussion. Anyone wishing to attend or participate is invited to email: barry.cooper@manchester.ac.uk for details of the next symposium in the series.
Previous topics have included:
- Beethoven and Classical antiquity
- Beethoven's publishers
- Beethoven's mistakes
- the Op. 18 quartets
- Beethoven's travels
- the Schlesinger sonatas (Op. 109–111)
- the 1808 Akademie
- Beethoven and tonality.
Many of the speakers are current or former PhD students in the Music department, but they have ranged from first-year undergraduates to the director of the Beethoven-Archiv at the Beethoven-Haus in Bonn.
Previous and forthcoming meetings
2026
- April 2026: Performance issues in Beethoven's piano concertos
- 30 January 2026: Current Beethoven research by the speakers
2025
- 19 December 2025: Beethoven's ornaments
- 19 September 2025: Beethoven in 1825
- 27 June 2025: Beethoven's earliest idea for new works
- 7 February 2025: Current Beethoven research by the speakers
2024
- 6 Dececmber 2024: Beethoven's Tempos
- 20 September 2024: Beethoven's Finances
- 28 June 2024: Beethoven in 1824
- 15 March 2024: Beethoven's Friends
2023
- 8 December 2023: Beethoven's Late Quartets
- 15 September 2023: Beethoven's 'Razumovsky' Quartets
- 16 June 2023: Beethoven's Pianos
- 24 March 2023: Beethoven and Musical Narrative
2022
- 16 December 2022: Beethoven and Nature
- 11 November 2022: New Beethoven Research
- 16 September 2022: Beethoven in 1822
- 17 June 2022: Performing Beethoven's Piano Sonatas
- 18 March 2022: Beethven's Concertos
2021
- 17 December 2021: Beethoven's Ninth Symphony
- 17 September 2021: Beethoven and the Violin
- 11 June 2021: Beethoven's Vocal Music
- 26 March 2021: Beethoven's Illnesses
- 15 January 2021: Beethoven's Dynamic Marks
2020
- 17 January 2020: Portraits of Beethoven
Get in touch
For more information, please contact Barry Cooper (barry.cooper@manchester.ac.uk).