26TH INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE “PRINCIPLES OF MUSIC COMPOSING: INTERACTION BETWEEN TECHNOLOGIES AND CONVENTIONS”
November 18–20, 2026
Vilnius, Lithuania
26TH INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE “PRINCIPLES OF MUSIC COMPOSING: INTERACTION BETWEEN TECHNOLOGIES AND CONVENTIONS”
Lithuanian Composers’ Union / Lithuanian Academy of Music and Theatre
Special guest:
Prof. Panayiotis Kokoras, University of North Texas, US
The commodification and accessibility of technology is arguably one of the most significant sociocultural phenomena of the 21st century. Due to its ease of access, advanced technology has become an integral part of our everyday lives, reshaping not only society but also our modes of thinking. Composition, as a reflection of these transformations, has not merely been affected by technological progress but has become one of its artistic vanguards.
Various technological tools and the processes derived from them (acoustic analysis, sound synthesis, recordings, audio engineering, electronic modifications of acoustic sound and acoustic instruments, etc.) have become an integral part of contemporary creative practice. In addition, our knowledge about sound, its nature, possibilities of modification, and historical contexts continues to grow and shape our musical consciousness. How do this knowledge and technological tools affect music composition processes? What opportunities, challenges, and paradigms of thinking do they open up—or even impose upon us? How is the role of the composer changing in the era of technology and artificial intelligence?
Alongside technological innovations remain conventions—established aesthetic, stylistic, cultural, and academic norms shaped through the historical development of music. Musical conventions (principles, techniques, and norms of Western music composition) and modern technologies (closely related both to the development of electronic music and to compositional and performative practices of acoustic music) are interpreted here as inseparable factors whose interaction forms new principles of music composition.
The conference invites participants to explore the interaction between technological innovations and musical conventions, uncover possible tensions and syntheses between them, and reveal the challenges and opportunities arising from this interaction, enabling us to reconsider aesthetic, cultural, national, and other contexts and to form new identities.
Suggested sub-themes:
1. The interaction of modern technologies and musical conventions as a paradigm of contemporary music composition: theoretical, historical, and philosophical insights.
2. Types of interaction between modern technologies and conventions: sociocultural level, creative process, aspects of musical structure and technique, music production, reproduction, and reception.
3. Interaction between modern technologies and conventions in relation to different sound parameters: pitch, duration, loudness, timbre, etc.
4. The influence of digital and analogue sound processes on composition processes (sound synthesis, sound recordings, audio engineering, etc.).
5. The influence of non-musical technologies on composition processes (artificial intelligence, social media, multimedia, electronic devices, DIY practices, etc.).
6. Realization of the interaction between technologies and conventions in creative practice: theoretical and practical aspects.
7. The significance of the interaction between modern technologies and musical traditions for the dissemination of cultural, national, and ethnic musical features and identities.
Paper proposals (abstract and short biography) should be sent to:
pmc.lmta@gmail.com
Abstracts must not exceed 500 words. The approximate duration of presentations is 20–25 minutes.
The deadline for submitting proposals is September 12, 2026. All proposals will be evaluated by the scholarly committee, and applicants will be informed of the committee’s decision by the end of September.
The conference will be held in English. Participants will also have the opportunity to present online.
Participation fee* (only for selected participants):
In person – 30 €
Online – 50 €
*If you are unable to pay the participation fee, please contact us via email.
Disclaimer: Due to the ongoing geopolitical situation, proposals from scholars associated with institutions in Russia or Belarus will not be accepted.
All conference participants will have an opportunity to submit articles based on their presentations for publication in the annual peer-reviewed journal “Principles of Music Composing”.