The Beethoven Question - The Musical Brain Conference

The Musical Brain makes its debut at the Southbank Centre with its third annual conference: The Beethoven Question: Can Art Make Life Worth Living?

The Beethoven Question is a two-day exploration of Beethoven’s life and music and the role the arts can play in overcoming life’s adversities. The conference takes place on 27 & 28 October at The Purcell Room, Queen Elizabeth Hall, Southbank Centre, London.

Led by the broadcaster Stephen Johnson, the weekend features distinguished speakers and musicians including Classic FM’s John Suchet on Beethoven’s Life and Deafness. This exciting event will bring together the worlds of the arts, medical science and academic research for a packed weekend of presentations, concerts, film and audience interaction. The Sacconi Quartet, Stephan Loges, baritone, and pianists Ian Brown and Anna Tilbrook, will perform three concerts, illustrate the talks and take part in discussions.

Topics covered will include:

How Beethoven’s deafness affected his life and music
What new research into his string quartet writing reveals
Musicians and music lovers dealing with hearing impairment 

There will also be three panel discussions: The Need to Compose, The Need to Perform and The Need to Listen and an open forum on Can Art Make Life Worth Living?

Other speakers include: Prof Barry Cooper on the Piano Sonatas;
Behavioural neurologist Prof Michel Trimble on ‘Beethoven: Mad, Bad and Dangerous to Know?’;
Composers Nigel Osborne and Lloyd Coleman;
Dr Paul Whittaker founder of Music and the Deaf;
Lindsey Dryden’s 2012 documentary Lost and Sound, on a musician, a dancer and a music critic coping with hearing loss

To book call 0844 847 9910 or visit southbankcentre.co.uk