The concept of a ‘Great Conversation’ among writers, thinkers and artists across different eras has ancient origins but was first coined by Robert M. Hutchins and Mortimer Adler in the 1950s. Adler described the idea as follows: ‘What binds the authors together in an intellectual community is the great conversation in which they are engaged. In the works that come later in the sequence of years, we find authors listening to what their predecessors have had to say about this idea or that, this topic or that. They not only harken to the thought of their predecessors, they also respond to it by commenting on it in a variety of ways.’

Within this framework, Pedro Faria Gomes will highlight aspects of his compositional work that engage in dialogue with existing music, particularly through elements of quotation and paraphrase. He will draw on examples from various works, with a particular focus on his Suite J and Sonatina for solo piano – both largely grounded in pre-existing musical materials, and recorded by Kenneth Hamilton on a disc released by Prima Facie in 2024. The album, titled Scenes from Childhood, is also an exploration of personal memory, extra-musical meaning and multi-layered transformation.

Speaker Info:

Dr Pedro Faria Gomes (Cardiff University)

Born in Lisbon, Pedro Faria Gomes has taught at various music universities and conservatoires in Portugal, Hong Kong and the UK since 1999. Over this period his work as a composer has been regularly commissioned, performed, recorded and broadcast, particularly in these three countries but also in North and South America, Asia and across Europe. Recordings of his music are available on Naxos, Prima Facie, Centaur Records, Casa da Música, Numérica, GDA and Compasso. Recognition for his work has included the PRS Sir Arthur Bliss Memorial Award (UK), the Lopes-Graça Prize and the SPA Prémio Autores (Portugal). He has been based in the UK since 2007 and holds master's and doctoral degrees from the Royal College of Music. Currently, he is Senior Lecturer in Composition at Cardiff University.

You can find more information on his website.