ISOCM News

Fifth International Conference on Orthodox Church Music Announced

Joensuu, Finland – The International Society for Orthodox Church Music (ISOCM) announced its 5th International Conference on Orthodox Church Music which will be held 3-9 June, 2013 on the campus of the University of Eastern Finland, in Joensuu, Finland.

“The theme of the conference in 2013 will be Church Music and Icons: Windows to Heaven,” said the Rev. Ivan Moody, chair of the ISOCM board adding, “One of the aims of ISOCM Conferences is to encourage exchange of ideas and information between musicians and musicologists - for this particular conference we're also encouraging iconographers, iconologists, and historians of iconography to join the discussion by attending the conference.”

Founded in 2005, the ISOCM provides church musicians from around the world with the opportunity to gather for dialogue and share resources related to Orthodox Church music. With the conference theme expanded to include icons, it is expected presentations will focus on Church music as icon, the aesthetic and historical parallels between church music and icons, icons in hymnography and hymnography in icons.

The format of the conference will also be organized to facilitate group presentations and panel discussions. Interdisciplinary contributions and free papers are also welcome. 

“Interdisciplinary research is increasingly important in the modern world, in which boundaries are constantly being modified or even erased,” Father Ivan noted, adding, “The twin riches of Orthodoxy that are its icons and its music have much in common: we intend this conference to be a meeting point for exchanges of ideas and collaborative projects on this basis.”

The success of the previous four conferences is apparent in the proceedings which the Society has published and are available for purchase on the ISOCM website.

“Building on the basis of the enormous success of our four International Conferences thus far, I believe that with this theme we can achieve something genuinely exciting and truly ground-breaking,” said Father Ivan.

The ISOCM makes it possible for musicians and scholars – as well as iconographers and iconologists – from many countries to gather in one place for the exchange of ideas and information. In September 2012, the first call for papers will be announced.

Questions about the conference can be submitted to ISOCM secretary-treasurer, Maria Takala-Roszczenko via email: mtakala@isocm.com

For more information about the mission of ISOCM and to become a Society member, visit www.isocm.com