This panel is devoted to the presentation and discussion of Musiques en résistance: Arvo Pärt et Valentin Silvestrov by Constantin Sigov, a deeply moving and intellectually precise reflection on music, friendship, and historical rupture. Through the intertwined lives and works of Arvo Pärt and Valentin Silvestrov, Sigov reconstructs three pivotal moments in contemporary European history: the Soviet period, marked by the clash between ideals of artistic freedom and political censorship; the years of Estonian and Ukrainian independence, during which both composers experienced a remarkable flourishing of their creative voices; and the tragic and heroic present shaped by Russia's war against Ukraine. Written from the unique perspective of a close friend and intellectual companion of both composers, the book goes beyond a dual biography. It offers a meditation on music as a form of moral, spiritual, and political resistance, and on friendship as a space of fidelity in the face of historical violence. The panel will explore the book's aesthetic, ethical, and political insights, addressing the role of music under conditions of repression, transition, and war, and reflecting on how lived experience and intellectual engagement illuminate the work of two major figures of contemporary music. This panel is part of the POLISMOD (2026-31, PI Kristina Stoeckl) project launch.

Musicology, Orientalia Christiana,