Olivier Messiaen's interests in mathematics, color, and birdsong combined with his devout Christian faith created an individual musical style which
has greatly influenced other composers of the 20th century.
Through performances and lectures, Brown Symposium XXII at Southwestern
University, Ratios and Radiance, Feathers and Faith: The Music of Olivier
Messiaen, will examine the works of the French composer who lived from 1908
until 1992.
The Brown Symposium is presented by Southwestern University on an annual
basis. Open to the public without charge, the symposium is funded through
an endowment established by The Brown Foundation, Inc., of Houston, Texas,
for professorships at the University.
The symposia are designed to enhance the effectiveness of the work for
which the endowed professorships were established. Each symposium presents
topics in one of the broad areas of study represented by a chairholder.
Ratios and Radiance, Feathers and Faith: The Music of Olivier Messiaen, the 22nd symposium in the series, has been developed by F. Ellsworth Peterson, professor of music and holder of the Margarett Root Brown Chair.
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