55th Musicological Conference of the Polish Composers’ Union

The Musicologists’ Section of the Polish Composers’ Union invites researchers to participate in the 55th Musicological Conference titled "Creative Constellations: Traditions, Schools, and Generations in Music", which will be held at the University of Warsaw Library from November 26 to 28, 2026. The deadline for submissions is April 30.

"Art is a product of a collective action", argued Howard S. Becker in his work Art Worlds (1982). Although composers essentially write music in solitude, they function within collaborative networks: they learn from others, exchange ideas with peers, co-organize concerts, and create aesthetic manifestos. Contemporary research on composer networks (McAndrew and Everett, 2015) confirms this social nature of musical creativity. Furthermore, Karl Mannheim’s theory of generations (1928) highlights that shared historical experiences gained during formative years shape a generational perspective and way of thinking. Groups, schools, communities, and generations — distinct yet overlapping dimensions of social musical life.

Even though musicology has employed the category of so-called composition schools for nearly two centuries - the term "Viennese School" was introduced by Raphael G. Kiesewetter as early as 1834 - we still lack specialized methodologies for studying these group phenomena: their origins, modes of operation, or evolution. Existing studies tend to focus on chronology, styles, and individual biographies. Meanwhile, the sociology of music (including the theory of generations), ethnomusicology, and literary studies offer tools that could enrich such research, yet they are rarely adapted for this purpose.

This year marks the 75th anniversary of the birth of the largest group of composers commonly referred to as the Generation of 1951. It established its presence in the final quarter of the last century, and its representatives remain active to this day, though some of them passed away. It is a fitting moment to engage in profound reflection on this generation's legacy, as well as its relationship with subsequent generations.

As an attempt to bridge those gaps, the title "Creative Constellations: Traditions, Schools, and Generations in Music" as the theme for the 55th Musicological Conference has been proposed.

The organizers encourage the submission of papers addressing the following topics:

Theoretical and Methodological Issues

• Definitions and typologies (artistic groups, composition schools, creative generations)
• Methodologies for researching creative communities
• Individual versus collective artistic identity
• The "insider" perspective (composition-relaed) versus the "outsider" perspective (musicological)

Composition Schools and Generations in Music History

• Mechanisms behind the formation and evolution of composition schools
• Composers' generations as a periodization category
• Avant-garde groups and their aesthetic manifestos
• Intergenerational relations and their reflection in critical and musicological discourse, as well as in the music itself
• The impact of historical events on the formation of creative communities

Anthropological and Ethnomusicological Approaches to Musical Communities

• Mechanisms of musical knowledge transmission within traditional music creative environments
• Communities dedicated to protecting endangered traditions (revival, post-folk)
• Community-building practices (rituals, initiations)

The Polish Context in the 20th and 21st Centuries

• The role of the Polish Composers’ Union, PWM Edition, festivals, and music academies in group-forming processes
• The roles of music critics, curators, and producers versus generational characteristics
• The nature of generational shifts (continuum or breakthroughs?)
• The nature of Polish historical and political conditions

Under-researched Phenomena

• Informal composers' networks (salons, social circles)
• International creative collaboration groups
• Professional communities (film, theater, and church composers)
• Generations defined by access to music technology (computers, Artificial Intelligence)
• Shifts in the composer paradigm (especially in recent decades): is the traditional division of "(individual) composer – performer – listener" becoming a festure of the past?

The outlined areas do not preclude the submission of other topics related to the main theme of the conference. The proposals for individual presentations in the form of papers (up to 20 minutes) or short communications (up to 10 minutes) are welcome, as well as proposals for panel discussions involving at least three speakers (up to 60 minutes).

Please submit your proposals by April 30, 2026, to Wiktoria Antonczyk, the conference secretary, at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Submissions will be reviewed by the Program Committee, consisting of Rafał Augustyn, Daniel Cichy, Agnieszka Draus, Iwona Lindstedt, and Marcin Trzęsiok. In the event of a large number of submissions, the Committee reserves the right to select merit-based papers.

The conference fee: 450 PLN (full rate) or 300 PLN for members of the Polish Composers’ Union (the amount includes VAT). Retirees and non-affiliated researchers are eligible for a fee waiver. The fee does not cover travel or accommodation expenses. Further organizational details and recommendations will be provided at a later date.

Call for papers: https://zkp.org.pl/index.php/pl/sekcja-muzykologow/komunikaty/1257-list-zarzadu-sekcji-muzykologow-w-sprawie-55-konferencji-muzykologicznej