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Locke Named WIU's 2021 Distinguished Faculty Lecturer

March 8, 2021

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MACOMB/MOLINE, IL – The Western Illinois University 2021 Distinguished Faculty Lecturer School of Music Professor Brian S. Locke will present "The Improbable Tangos of Prague: Exoticism and National Identity in Czech Popular Music, 1918-1948" live on WIU's YouTube channel at 7 p.m. Wednesday, March 24. In addition, in lieu of a traditional post-lecture Q&A session, an informal discussion will be held via Zoom at 7 p.m. Wednesday March 31. Individuals who would like to participate must register in advance at https://form.jotform.com/210635498415055.

According to Locke, a professor in the WIU School of Music, his lecture will focus on an iconic dance craze not commonly associated with East Central Europe. Locke's lecture explores the potent mix between local nationalism and imagined cosmopolitanism across three decades, from the first days of Czechoslovak independence, through the interwar period and Nazi occupation, to the arrival of communism and collapse of private music publishing houses.

"The tango, originally from Buenos Aires, was quickly adopted internationally after 1918 as a signifier of exoticism and fiery emotions. Czech consumers encountered the tango first as a foreign product, via the American, French and German popular music industries; in the 1920s, imported sung tangos were often translated into Czech. By 1930, however, the majority of Prague publishers began issuing newly-written
Czech-language tangos, referencing not only exotic international destinations—as far flung as Venezuela, Lebanon and Japan—but also local places, from idyllic villages and rivers to iconic locations in Prague itself," Locke explained.

Locke joined Western's faculty in 2006 as an assistant professor. He has fulfilled multiple terms as a chair and member of WIU's Graduate Council. He served as the graduate coordinator for the Master of Music Degree program and graduate advisor for the School of Music (2007-2018). Locke has been a member of Faculty Senate and served on department, college and University committees.

His research focuses on music and cultural identity in the Czech Republic and its predecessor states in the late nineteenth and twentieth centuries. Locke is currently immersed in multiple international research projects including the history of Czech popular music in the early 20th century, a catalogue of the music of Jindřich Feld, and a book chapter on the Czech feminist librettist Eliška Krásnohorská, and he has conducted several research trips to Prague in the last 20 years.

Locke's scholarly highlights include authoring the book "Opera and Ideology in Prague: Polemics and Practice at the National Theater, 1900-1938," as well as authoring and co-authoring several peer-reviewed book chapters, articles, conference proceedings, encyclopedia entries, conference papers and a modern edition of an unpublished three-act opera, "Vina" by Otakar Zich (A-R Editions, 2014).

Locke's language skills include Czech, French, Italian and German (as well as 20 others in song). An operatic bass, he performed the role of Dr. Bartolo in WIU's production of Mozart's "Le nozze di Figaro" in 2019 as part of his Post-Baccalaureate Certificate in Vocal Performance.
He is the recipient of numerous scholarships and awards including the Fuller Alumni Colloquium Series at Stony Book University, which is awarded to distinguished alumni in Musicology. Locke was the beneficiary of the Research Development Fund from Dalhousie University, an award given in partnership with the Social Sciences/Humanities Research Council of Canada. In addition, he received the University Research Council Grant and the summer research stipend (twice) from Western Illinois University to pursue research projects.

He earned his Doctorate in Musicology from the State University of New York at Stony Brook. Locke earned his Master of Arts degree in Musicology from the University of Western Ontario and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Music History and Composition from Wilfrid Laurier University.

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