In a network of increasingly connected European cultures, musicians face questions of how to interact across national borders. A myriad of strategies have been developed to assert local identity and individualism while recognizing broader European contexts. This panel focuses on the problems inherent in envisioning musical futures that play with perceptions of geographical place and identity.

From strategies of touring virtuosi, to representations of Polish national identity abroad, to descriptions of national compositional styles, discussions about nationalist rhetoric and visions for the future of one nation often hinged on perceptions of distant and unfamiliar places.  Likewise, the challenge of constructing a sense of national belonging in Belgium, a site of conflict and contention since the nation's founding, illuminates how educational institutions, economic and social tensions, and imperial ambitions shape and reshape visions of identity.Together, these six papers offer a dialogue on how place and nation have contributed to diverse conceptions of European musical futures.