International conference: modality, a bridge between East and West

To formalize the creation of the modal music network, Drom organized an international conference for the first time on 17 and 18 November 2011 at Le Quartz in Brest with the theme “Modality, a bridge between East and West”. It is envisaged that those involved in the modality centre will meet, beyond informal exchanges, for biennial conferences where they will discuss modality and its presence in the contemporary musical creation.

The focus of the Modal Music Network’s first conference was modality as a bridge between East and West:
For decades, most researchers, musicians and intellectuals saw modality solely as a feature of non-European music. Yet, in many Western cultures, modal understanding and the use of non-equal tempered scales represent the basis of traditional musical construction.
Those who embrace this reality will undoubtedly discover new riches in music, an innovative means of musical composition as well as a musical syntax common to both East and West.

The conference summary will soon be available online.