PCC Presents: Resonate Festival

Exploring Practice-Based Research in Music.

The two-day Resonate Festival puts practice-based research on the center stage. Second-year master’s students will present the results of the research projects they undertook as part of the Practice-based Research course. During the festival, you will also be able to attend workshops, round tables and presentations led by teachers of the Prins Claus Conservatorium. The winner of the Practice-Based Research Award will be announced on the second day of the festival.

Practice based research

Practice-based research is one of the courses students work on during their Master of Music. The work and outcomes of this course directly contribute to the development of each student’s professional practice. Therefore, every student designs a research project that benefits their development as a musician. Research projects by students who have received the Practice-Based Research Award in previous years focused on concepts such as audience connection, improvisation, authenticity and storytelling.

Why ‘Resonate’?

The term ‘resonate’ can be understood in different ways. Through the lens of physics, it can be described as the reinforcement or prolongation of sound by reflection. From a sociological perspective, resonation is about emotional relationships and ways in which we relate to the world around us (Rosa, 2019). With the title of this event, we refer to both meanings in hopes that both the presented research and music resonate with you.

Presentations by University students

Master students of the Popular Music and Sonic Cultures track within the Arts and Culture Masters programme at the University of Groningen will present aspects of their research for their final Master's thesis projects. Their approaches range from ethnographic, cultural and sociological to musicological and historical. Research topics include the 'free party scene' in Groningen, music promotion within platform infrastructures, music cultural hubs in the Netherlands, Indie music promotion and careers in NL, and intersectional barriers within Afrobeat.

Free entry.

Timetable

Download the timetable through the following link.

Timetable PCC Presents: Resonate Festival

Workshops Tuesday

Please sign up for the workshops before May 10th through the following form.

Sign up

Tatiana Koleva, Jimena Maldonado: From Page to Stage: A Collaborative Sound Lab 
Tuesday 19th | 10:00-12:00 
Step into a creative space where an idea leads to collaboration. This workshop explores the dynamic relationship between performer and composer, offering an opportunity to be a part of the creative process needed for realising a collaborative composition. How does a piece evolve when performers and composers work side by side? What possibilities emerge when interpretation becomes dialogue? 

During this workshop, you will work on the piece Megi, for open instrumentation by composer Jimena Maldonado, a piece based on a painting by artist Bernard Frize. Through guided exploration, you’ll experiment with shaping musical ideas, refining interpretation, and contributing your own artistic voice to the development of the work. Led by Tatiana Koleva, an experienced collaborator in contemporary music and new repertoire, the workshop provides practical insight into working with living composers. Over two intensive and interactive hours, you’ll rehearse, discuss, and develop the piece together with the composer, culminating in an informal performance that showcases the results of this shared creative journey. Open to performers of any instrument (please bring your instrument and a tablet/laptop) .

Karolien Dons, Rosa Wevers: Algo-rhythms: Sensing technology through artistic practice 
Tuesday 19th | 13:00-14:00  
This interactive workshop invites participants to explore the hidden workings of algorithms—such as those shaping social media, generative AI, and facial recognition—through musical and artistic experimentation. Rather than approaching these technologies purely analytically, participants will engage with them through sound, rhythm, and embodied practice, using musical instruments (brought or provided) to interpret, mimic, and disrupt algorithmic processes. 

In the reflective discussion, participants will consider how artistic practice can deepen our understanding of everyday technologies and open space for critical engagement. The workshop aims to foster curiosity, creativity, and awareness, encouraging participants to understand, question and reimagine their relationship with algorithmic systems. Please bring your own instrument! 

Luis Mora Matus: Crossing bridges: applying rhythmical concepts extracted from progressive metal to contemporary jazz and improvised music 
Tuesday 19th | 14:14-15:15 
This interactive workshop, led by drummer Luis Mora Matus, PhD candidate at the Koninklijk Conservatorium Brussel, will focus on the explanation and application of three rhythmic concepts found in progressive metal, as exemplified by bands such as Meshuggah, Car Bomb, and The Dillinger Escape Plan, and their potential applications in composition and improvisation within contemporary jazz and improvised music. The workshop will address three main concepts: additive rhythm, rhythmic subdivision, and mixed meters. Participants are encouraged to bring their instruments, as the session will include practical components in which these concepts are explored and applied. 

PCC Presents (May 18th-22nd)

Prins Claus Conservatorium Presents: 5 days of music all over the place. Conservatoire students will present five days of performances, final presentations, and surprises at various locations in and outside of Groningen from Monday May 18th until Friday May 22nd. PCC Presents is a vibrant showcase where you can enjoy projects and concerts by musicians in training. Expect a unique opportunity to discover the new generation of musicians: fresh talent ready to shape tomorrow’s sound.

Discover the full programme

60th Anniversary

This second edition of PCC Presents is part of the celebrations marking the 60th anniversary of the Prins Claus Conservatorium. We celebrate this milestone with a series of special events. Are you joining the celebrations?

Learn more about 60 years of PCC
 

Programme may be subject to change.

Timetable

Download the timetable through the following link.

Timetable PCC Presents: Resonate Festival