Doing Sound Synthesis: Symposium and Exhibition [1-3 October, Graz]

16th September 2026 by Joan Murphy

Graz Institute of Electronic Music and Acoustics Symposium and Exhibition

Thinking sound synthesis, composing sound synthesis, developing sound synthesis, programming sound synthesis, questioning sound synthesis, experimenting with sound synthesis, probing sound syntheses. What is it that we are doing in the artistic practice of sound synthesis?

As an artistic endeavour, doing sound synthesis is a knot of practices. It is not limited to the mere production of sound; rather, it seeds paths of speculation that grow into different, unthought, unseen and unheard potentials.Doing Sound Synthesis, a mini-symposium and exhibition within the artistic research project Speculative Sound Synthesis, brings a collection of such speculative seeds together.

Works by A. Isa Araújo, Adam Pultz Melbye, Fulya Uçanok and Martin Rumori, as well as by the project team – David Pirrò, Leonie Strecker and Ina Thomann – will be exhibited, performed and discussed over three days at the Tennenmälzerei in Graz. The programme also includes the presentation of the new artistic research project Composing Tools as Computer Music Discourse by Gerhard Eckel, Ludvig Elblaus, Alisa Kobzar, Ina Thomann, and Zlata Zhidkova, and closes with the presentation of the forthcoming Speculative Sound Synthesis publication.Doing Sound Synthesis – mini-symposium and exhibition

October 1–3, 2026
Tennenmälzerei, UNESCO-Esplanade 9, 8020 Graz
Exhibition daily from 14:00
Lecture performances and moderated talks from 18:00

Programme:
https://speculative.iem.at/docs/Events/doing_sound_synthesis_2026/

Participation is free.

We kindly ask you to register by sending a short email to speculative@iem.at.We look forward to welcoming you in Graz.the Speculative Sound Synthesis teamSpeculative Sound Synthesis is funded by the Austrian Science Fund (FWF) within the Programme for Arts-based Research (PEEK) – PEEK AR 713-G. It is hosted by the Institute of Electronic Music and Acoustics (IEM) at the University of Music and Performing Arts Graz.

https://speculative.iem.at/

contact: speculative@iem.at

Research Fellows (x2) [Mica lab, UK]

14th July 2026 by Joan Murphy

The mica lab is currently hiring two 24-month UKRI-funded postdocs

Both roles will be based in The Bridge Studios at UWE Bristol, in partnership with MiMU Gloves, x-io Technologies, Watershed, and Drake Music.

Role 1: Research Fellow in Digital Musical Instrument Design
Planning and facilitating musical instrument co-design activities with disabled and non-disabled participants, and exploring a range of methods for prototyping surfaces, objects, and mechanisms for music interaction. People with expertise in music, product design, HCI, and/or disability studies are encouraged to apply.
See: https://go.uwe.ac.uk/dmiDesign

Role 2: Research Fellow in Algorithmic Sensing for Music
Creating algorithms for detecting nuanced musical interactions in real time using hand-worn wearable technology. People with expertise in signal processing and/or machine learning are encouraged to apply.
See: https://go.uwe.ac.uk/algoSense

For more details on the roles, and to apply, please visit https://micalab.org. Applications close 6th August 2026, with interviews expected to take place in the week commencing 31st August 2026.

Survey on Artistic Research: Performance, Teaching and Publication Practices [Now open]

10th June 2026 by Joan Murphy

Survey on Artistic Research: Performance, Teaching and Publication Practices

How are artistic performance, artistic research, teaching and academic publications recognised and evaluated in higher music education today?

Researchers from Széchenyi István University and Eötvös Loránd University (Hungary) are conducting an international survey examining careers, working conditions and evaluation systems in Higher Music Education Institutions worldwide.

The study explores:

• the balance between artistic activity, artistic research, teaching and scholarly publication;

• promotion and career pathways in conservatoires and university music departments;

• institutional expectations regarding research output;

• the recognition of artistic research within evaluation and promotion systems;

• challenges faced by academic and artistic staff in different national contexts.

We are particularly interested in understanding how institutions evaluate publications in relation to artistic practice and artistic research, and how these expectations influence professional development.

We warmly invite academic staff, artistic researchers, performers, teachers, administrators and doctoral candidates working in higher music education to participate.

The questionnaire is anonymous and takes approximately 15 minutes to complete.

Survey link:
https://elteppk.eu.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_37pAuHb2hKyVDFQ

Your contribution will help provide an international overview of current practices and support evidence-based discussions on the future of evaluation systems in higher music education.

Music and Digital Humanities [Mondays @ 16:00 CEST]

20th April 2026 by Joan Murphy

🎼 💡 Music and Digital Humanities

The Distinguished Lecture Series ‘Music and Digital Humanities’ at University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna invites leading international experts in diverse aspects of DH to share their perspectives with the interested audience.

📅 Monday, weekly from 5 p.m.
📍 onsite at the mdw Campus and online via Zoom
🌐 https://iwk.mdw.ac.at/music-dh/

The series is aimed at a broad, non-technical audience. It provides a varied overview of the history and current state of DH as it applies to music, its philosophical underpinnings and societal implications, and is expected to yield insights into relevant methodologies, technologies, infrastructures, and applications working with humanities datasets.

More information, the Zoom link and the (tentative) programme is available at:
👉 https://iwk.mdw.ac.at/music-dh/

Program preview

The lectures take place from 5:00 PM to 6:30 PM (Vienna).

March 2, 2026 — Anna E. Kijas , Lilly Music Library, Tufts University

March 9, 2026 — Chanda VanderHart and David M. Weigl , mdw

March 16, 2026 — Frauke Jürgensen , mdw

March 23, 2026 — Andrew Hankinson , RISM Digital

April 13, 2026 — Mark Gotham , King’s College London

April 27, 2026 — Alíz Horváth , Central European University

May 4, 2026 — Frans Wiering , Utrecht University

11 May 2026 — Terhi Nurmikko-Fuller , Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology (Venue: K0101, mdw-Campus)