27^e année, 30 mars 2026.

“So anch’io la virtù magica”: Morality and Libertinism of Virtuose from the Seventeenth to the Nineteenth Century

15–17 December 2026, Rome

Conservatorio di Musica “Santa Cecilia”, Rome

Call for Papers for the international conference

This international conference intends to investigate the complex relationship between morality, virtue, transgression, and libertinism in the lives and representations of female singers, dancers, actresses, and performers (virtuose) between the seventeenth and the nineteenth century. The aim of the meeting is to explore how performers negotiated social norms, moral expectations, artistic freedom, and public reputation in different cultural, geographical, and institutional contexts, adopting historical, musicological, theatrical, and interdisciplinary perspectives.

Particular attention will be devoted to themes such as:

– moral and social regulation of performers

– libertinism and the construction of scandal

– representations of virtuose in literature, theatre, satire, and iconography

– gender, body, and voice in early modern and modern musical cultures

– patronage, protection, and networks of power

– opera, theatre, dance, and hybrid performance practices

– reception, criticism, and moral judgement in contemporary sources

– strategies of self-representation and agency

– comparative perspectives across European contexts

– continuities and transformations between the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries.

Proposals should include title, abstract (max. 1,800 characters), short CV (max. 500 characters), and institutional affiliation, and must be sent by 15 September 2026