Colloquium: Dr. Ricardo F. Vivancos-Pérez

Reevaluating Preconceived Notions about Spanish Civil War Émigrés in the US: The Curious Case of Joaquín Nin-Culmell

Thursday, February 27, 2025 4:30 PM to 6:00 PM EST
Peterson Hall, 2413

Dr. Vivancos-Pérez's research examines the intellectual trajectory of musician, composer, and professor Joaquín Nin-Culmell (1908-2004), with the aim of reevaluating conventional assumptions in contemporary Exile and Migration studies. Although Spanish by heritage and Cuban by nationality, he was perceived as a fellow Spaniard by the Spanish Republican exiles who, like him, sought refuge in the United States during the Spanish Civil War. Prior to this, he had become a member of the so-called Generation of the Republic, a cohort of young Spanish composers and musicians, studying under Manuel de Falla in Granada and performing in recitals throughout Spain and Europe.

By combining archival research and a study of how Nin-Culmell was perceived by his contemporaries through memoirs, correspondence, and essays, Dr. Vivancos-Pérez explores how his case defies preconceived notions and categorizations regarding exile and migration. This research forms part of a larger book project that examines the role of marginal intellectuals within Spanish displaced communities in the United States. Their trajectories, perspectives, and affiliations offer valuable insights into contemporary views on Spanish Republican Exile and the spectrum of Spanish displacement in the 20th century. Overall, this project draws upon five fields of cultural criticism—migration studies, exile studies, critical archival studies, intersectionality, and LGBTQ+ studies—to expand our understanding of exile and migration, focusing particularly on the Spanish Civil War and World War II.

This is a hybrid event that will also be hosted via Zoom. Click here to register.