Music and Diplomacy

National Library of Portugal

February 12t, 2026

The study of Music and Diplomacy has attracted increasing interest in the international academic scene, resulting in several publications. In Portugal, this subject has been little addressed, although it underlies several investigations. Organized by the Historical and Cultural Studies in Music research group of the Institute of Ethnomusicology – Centre for Studies in Music and Dance, at NOVA School of Social Sciences and Humanities (INET-md, NOVA FCSH), this Colloquium aims to foster reflection on the role of music in diplomacy and international relations in general, covering a broad chronology (from the 17th to the 20th century) and different musical genres.

How has music been integrated into the practice of diplomacy over time? What musical practices were associated with diplomatic protocol? How did ambassadors acquire the knowledge that led to the production of complex spectacles? To what extent have diplomatic networks contributed to the circulation of ideas, musical repertoires and other art works? What is the role of diplomacy in the training of musicians and their careers abroad? Under what circumstances and with what objectives has music been subordinated to political interests? How can we define the boundaries between musical diplomacy and musical propaganda? These and other questions run through a series of presentations by researchers in the fields of Historical Musicology, Ethnomusicology, and Art History, who aspire to a transdisciplinary reflection on various topics: from music as a symbol of prestige and representation of power on the international stage to cultural diplomacy as a strategy and expression of soft power, encompassing the exchange of cultural and musical models, the promotion of national identities, patronage, and musical sociabilities within context of foreign policy.

Program:

9.30 am: Opening
9.45 – 11.15 am: Session I | Chair: Ana Leal de Faria (CH, ULisboa)

1.15 pm – 2. 30 pm: Lunch

2.30 pm – 4.30 pm: Session III | Chair: Pedro Moreira (CESEM, UÉvora)

• A(s) música(s) brasileira(s) a partir da Divulgação Musical (1933-1939): Um intercâmbio transatlântico aos olhos de Ema Santos Fonseca e de Gastão de Bettencourt | Alejandro Reyes Lucero (INET-md, NOVA FCSH) e Juliana Wady (CESEM, NOVA FCSH)
• Vasco Mariz (1921-2017) e o contexto da diplomacia musical luso-brasileira na primeira metade do século XX | Rodrigo Teodoro de Paula (CESEM, UÉvora; CEHUM, Univ. Minho)
• Intercâmbios musicais hispano-portugueses nos primeiros anos das ditaduras ibéricas: entre pragmatismo e idealismo | Igor Contreras Zubillaga (IMF-CSIC, Barcelona) e Manuel Deniz Silva (INET-md, NOVA FCSH)
• “…um instrumento de boa propaganda”. As atuações internacionais de Amália Rodrigues, a convite do regime, durante a primeira década da sua atividade profissional (1939-1949) | Teresa Gentil (INET-md, NOVA FCSH)

4.30 pm – 5.00 pm: Coffee Break

5.00 pm – 6.00 pm: Session IV | Chair: Jorge Freitas Branco (CRIA-Iscte)

• Swinging Soft Power: O jazz americano e a influência diplomática em Portugal após a II Guerra Mundial | Pedro Roxo (INET-md, NOVA FCSH)
• Revisitando a Diplomacia Cultural Soviética no Egipto no domínio da “Música Erudita Ocidental” | Salwa Castelo-Branco (INET-md, NOVA FCSH)

6 pm: Concluding remarks and closing

Organization: Research Group Historical and Cultural Studies in Music of the Institute of Ethnomusicology – Centre of Studies in Music and Dance (INET-md, NOVA FCSH)

Scientific Coordination: Cristina Fernandes

This event is supported by FCT – Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia, I.P. by project reference UID/00472/2025.