—Ayn Rand

The brilliant novelist and philosopher Ayn Rand once described Romanticism as “the category of art based on the recognition of the principle that man possesses the faculty of volition.” But just as the concept of human volition has been repeatedly negated by contemporary intellectuals, today the Romantic school of art survives only intermittently.

The pianist and composer Sergei Rachmaninoff (pictured at left) and the author William Sydney Porter, who wrote under the pseudonym O. Henry (pictured at right), are two artists who famously brought Romantic ideals into the early twentieth century—courageously and defiantly countering the trends of their era. But a true Romantic Resurrection will not only demand artists committed to a resurgence of Romanticism, but the acceptance of a rational philosophy which defines and defends Romantic ideals.

In October of 2023, we were pleased to welcome eleven distinguished Objectivist philosophers, estheticians, artists, and musicians to the beautiful campus of Converse University in Spartanburg, South Carolina, for a three-day conference devoted to discussions and intellectual analyses of the visual arts and music. These were augmented by outstanding live performances of Romantic opera and instrumental works, and the results met with universal acclaim from those in attendance. We are now pleased to share these outstanding events with a wider audience.

Most presentations occurred in the elegant and spacious Daniel Hall in Converse's Petrie School of Music (pictured at left), and if you're interested in seeing these presentations in full, simply click on the "Membership" link at the top of this page. You may also see our entire lineup of outstanding speakers and performers by clicking on the "Presenters" link, and the full Conference program is listed in detail at the "Presentations" link. Since a great many of our speakers and artists are also noted scholars and authors, feel free to visit our Bookstore, where their books and other materials may be easily obtained, as well as our Photo Gallery, which captures many of our event's most memorable moments.

A few of our outstanding Conference highlights are listed below.



Some Conference Highlights

Dr. Harry Binswanger

was our Conference Keynote Speaker, following the Banquet on Sunday evening, October 8. His topic, "Sense of Life and Music," explored Ayn Rand's hypothesis explaining the communicative power of music expressed in her brilliant essay "Art and Cognition," and examined its relationship to her famous description of art: "A selective re-creation of reality according to an artist's metaphysical value judgments." The following afternoon Dr. Binswanger also participated in an extended panel discussion on musical esthetics where he was joined by other Conference participants, including David Berry, Lee Pierson, Thomas Shoebotham, and Stephen Siek. The event also included audience participation, which was encouraged.

On January 23, 1909, Collier’s published O. Henry's story "To Him Who Waits," subtitled “The Awakening of the Hermit on the Mountain Top Who Smiled in His Beard.” One of the Conference highlights was a presentation by O. Henry expert and literary scholar Shoshana Milgram who explored this story's meaning, content, and original context as an introduction to the premiere of the orchestral version of this opera by David Berry. The one-act opera featured a 15-piece orchestra conducted by Dr. Berry, and a libretto by his longtime friend and collaborator, the late Ralph Rivera. Soprano Gia Sweitzer appeared in the starring role of Beatrix, while tenor Alan August appeared in the role of Bob. During the Conference, Dr. Berry also presented his own theory of musical esthetics, heavily based on ideas expressed by Ayn Rand, as explained in his new book, How Music Moves Us: The Rule of 2 and Beyond.

The year 2023 also marked the 150th anniversary of the birth of Sergei Vasilyevich Rachmaninoff, one of the most frequently performed composers of modern times. Once acclaimed as the heir apparent to Tchaikovsky, Rachmaninoff fled Soviet Russia in 1918 only to discover that Western music critics and intellectuals had begun to reject the Romantic voice of his youth. Since the Soviets confiscated all of his copyrights, his immigration nearly bankrupted him, and to support himself and his family, he was forced—at the age of 45—to become a touring concert pianist. Remarkably, despite his late start, by the estimates of most, he became one of the greatest pianists of all time. And despite the bias he encountered against his richly Romantic style, he became one of the most popular Classical composers of all time—most of his works are still an inextricable part of the modern repertoire. Our Conference proudly commemorated the anniversary of this great composer's birth with a number of events, including performances of his music by Alan August, Thomas Shoebotham, and Stephen Siek.

A Special Columbus Day Celebration Commemorating the 130th Anniversary of the World's Columbian Exposition

Long before the world ever celebrated "Indigenous People's Day," Christopher Columbus was venerated thoughout the United States on Columbus Day, which is tradtionally celebrated on October 12. But never was he honored more emphatically than by the World's Columbian Exposition of 1893, a massive world's fair staged in Chicago to honor the 400th anniversary of his first voyage to the New World. Some 27 million visitors prepared for the twentieth century by visiting the Exposition, which occupied nearly 700 acres on Chicago’s south side. Many had never even seen a light bulb, but they were suddenly greeted with more electric lights than were then in use in the entire city of Chicago. The Fair was a mixture of the palatial Renaissance and the ultra-modern, for its Greco-Roman palaces were offset by the modernistic styles of Louis Sullivan—as well as the world's first Ferris Wheel—and its elegant concert halls, where thousands heard Handel’s Messiah and other massive Classical works, were augmented by the talents of John Philip Sousa and Scott Joplin. At the first Objectivist Conference ever to occur on Columbus Day, we commemorated the 130th anniversary of what many historians regard as America's greatest world's fair, with extensive presentations by Dianne Durante, Sandra Shaw, Thomas Shoebotham, and Stephen Siek, where the Fair's art, sculpture, and music were thoroughly explored.