The Centro Studi Opera Omnia Luigi Boccherini and the Institute for Applied Musicology are pleased to invite submissions of proposals for the Conference «Beyond Corelli: Geminiani and the Instrumental Music of his Time» to be held in Lovere (BG), Centro Studi Opera Omnia Luigi Boccherini, from 5 to 7 June 2026.
This conference is to mark the completion of the publication of the complete works of Francesco Geminiani, a project initiated by the late Christopher Hogwood in 2008 and after his untimely death in 2014 continued by Rudolf Rasch. The edition comprises sixteen volumes with ‘practical music’, that is, violin and cello sonatas, concertos, keyboard music, and a few ‘miscellaneous works’, and five volumes with ‘didactic music’, that is, treatises on various aspects of the composition and performance of music, all with a generous selection of instructional compositions. In 2024 the last of the twenty-two volumes were published, with the thematic index and other additional materials related to Geminiani’s music.
Francesco Geminiani (1687-1762) is one of the most significant composers of the first half of the eighteenth century. A pupil of Corelli, he became widely known through his contributions to the violin sonata and the concerto grosso. In both genres, he composed works that reflect the classical models provided by his master on the one hand and add greater flexibility and variety to them («whim and caprice», as Burney wrote) on the other hand. His sonatas Opp. 1 and 4 and the Concertos Opp. 2 and 3 became known all over Europe.
After he had left his homeland of Italy in 1714, Geminiani was active mostly in Great Britain. There, in many instances, he was mentioned in one breath with Corelli and Handel, the three of them being the major inspirations of musical life in England in the eighteenth century. His music remained an important factor in British concert life until the beginning of the nineteenth century.
From the beginning to the end of his career, Geminiani was considered as one the greatest violin players of Europe, even though he did not often appear on the concert stage. In addition, he was sought after as a teacher, both for violin and composition. Charles Avison is the best-known of his pupils, but the complete list contains many more well-known names.
On the continent, Geminiani’s music became known first of all through the editions of his works published in Amsterdam and Paris, but manuscript copies of his works can be found everywhere as well. His best-known instructional work, The Art of Playing on the Violin, was deemed worthy of a French translation that was published in Paris in 1752 and a German translation that was published in Vienna as late as 1782.
For the conference, papers are welcomed concerning a wide range of topics, including
- The violin and cello sonata of the primo settecento
- The concerto grosso of the primo settecento
- Performance practice of eighteenth-century sonata and concerto
- Eighteenth-century violin pedagagogy
- Musical life in Britain, in particular concert life and amateur music-making
- The influence of Corelli on eighteenth-century instrumental music
- Every topic related to any aspect of Geminiani’s life and works
- Geminiani’s pupils
- Geminiani versus Corelli versus Handel
Scholarly Committee
- Roberto Illiano (Centro Studi Opera Omnia Luigi Boccherini)
- Fulvia Morabito (Centro Studi Opera Omnia Luigi Boccherini)
- Rudolf Rasch (Utrecht University)
- Luca Lévi Sala (Manhattan University)
- Massimiliano Sala (Centro Studi Opera Omnia Luigi Boccherini)
Keynote Speaker
- Rudolf Rasch (Utrecht University)
The official languages of the conference are English, French and Italian. Papers selected at the conference will be published in a miscellaneous volume.
Papers are limited to twenty minutes in length, allowing time for questions and discussion. Please submit an abstract of no more than 500 words and one page of biography.
All proposals should be submitted by email no later than ***Saturday, 31 January 2026*** to <conferences@luigiboccherini.org>. With your proposal please include your name, contact details (postal address, e-mail and telephone number) and (if applicable) your affiliation.
The committee will make its final decision on the abstracts by February 2026 and contributors will be informed immediately thereafter. Further information about the programme and registration will be announced after that date.