Opera and the Spanish empire. Genres, encounters and translations between 1600 and 1900

The UCD School of Music is pleased to announce the Call For Papers of the Conference ‘Opera and the Spanish empire. Genres, encounters and translations between 1600 and 1900’ organised by our IRC postdoctoral fellow Francesco Milella which will be held at UCD between 1-3 July 2025.

The conference brings musicologists and historians together for a new interdisciplinary discussion about the role that opera played in the history of the Spanish empire, from its origins until its collapse and even after, through the many legacies it left worldwide: opera as a narrative and performative space for imperial dynamics, opera as a social and political tool for the construction and questioning of the Spanish hegemony, but also opera as a permeable space of coexistence of different forms and languages throughout the centuries from Spain to Latin America, Asia, Africa and the rest of Europe.

Keynote Speaker

(opens in a new window)Christopher Webber, theatre professional and dramatist Christopher Webber is one of the leading scholars in the field of zarzuela and Spanish opera more broadly. 

Conference Programme

The conference programme is (opens in a new window)available to view here.

Conference Registration Link

Register via (opens in a new window)Eventbrite.

Concert-Lecture 'Oh, guerrieri della Patria – Early Chilean Operas (1898–1909)', Wednesday 2nd July

Join us for a unique concert-lecture showcasing the early development of Chilean opera at the turn of the 20th century. This first-ever performance in Dublin of works by Eliodoro Ortiz de Zárate, Raoul Hügel, and Remijio Acevedo Gajardo reveals a fascinating chapter of Latin American musical history, full of ambition, conflict, and beauty. Featuring members of the Colectivo Ópera Nacional de Chile, this performance brings rarely heard repertoire to life, offering a compelling blend of scholarship and artistry.

(opens in a new window)Register here for this concert performance. 

Conference website

For more information visit the website (opens in a new window)www.operaspem.com.