We welcome proposals from staff and HDR students of the ANU School of Music. The symposium will feature lecture recitals and similar performance-related presentations – whether grounded in a musical tradition, a community of practice, or a personally developed methodology. The central theme is improvisation, however a broad range of presentations that encompass related performance practice will be considered.
This symposium celebrates real-time creative practice as research. It foregrounds musical practice itself as a primary mode of inquiry, where knowledge is generated through performing, making, and responding in real time. In this context, performance is not illustrative of ideas but constitutive of knowledge.
The symposium also creates space for pedagogical and collaborative practices that emerge directly from creative work—particularly in contexts where knowledge is shared, tested, and developed through interaction.
We invite proposals across two strands (although proposals outside of these strands will be considered if they are broadly in keeping with the objectives of the symposium):
- Lecture-Recitals
- Workshops/Masterclasses
Strand 1: Lecture-Recitals
In this strand, playing is the primary contribution. The reflective component may be informal, conversational, and spoken—it does not need to take the form of a conventional conference paper, yet the substance should demonstrate academic integrity.
Presentations may take a variety of forms, including:
- demonstrations of improvisational processes
- presentations of new works
- structured performances with commentary
- performances interweaving playing and discussion
The reflective component may engage with topics such as (but not limited to):
The individual and tradition
- working within or departing from established improvisational systems
- developing personal or bespoke approaches
- balancing inherited methods with an individual practice
Interaction and ensemble playing
- listening and responsiveness in collective improvisation
- improvisation as dialogue or musical conversation
Interactions with technology
- human–machine interaction in improvisation
- electronic or multimedia performance contexts
Intercultural performance
- making in collaboration from this space
The body and the instrument
- technical approaches and their relationship to spontaneity
- real-time decision-making and risk
- idiomatic versus extended techniques across instruments and genres
Duration: 30 minutes performance + 10 minutes discussion
Formats: Solo or ensemble. Collaborative proposals are encouraged. Solo performances (acoustic, electronic, or multimedia) are welcome where ensembles are not practical.
Strand 2: Workshops and Masterclasses
This combined strand focuses on teaching, facilitation, and the sharing of practice-based knowledge in an interactive setting. Proposals may take the form of either a workshop or a masterclass, depending on the format and intended participants.
- A workshop is typically participatory and peer-based, involving active engagement from attendees.
- A masterclass usually centres on coaching individual performers or ensembles in a public setting, with others observing.
In both cases, the session itself is understood as a form of research output: an opportunity to make explicit the methods, approaches, and values that underpin your practice or pedagogy.
Sessions may explore:
- improvisational approaches and systems
- tradition-specific techniques
- listening and ear-training practices
- compositional frameworks or games
- discipline-specific or cross-genre or cross-cultural teaching methods and approaches
Presenters are encouraged to include a brief reflective component (before, during, or after the session), articulating the thinking behind their approach.
Duration: 45–60 minutes
Format options:
- Workshop (participatory):
- active involvement from participants
- may be open (observable) or limited to participants
- Masterclass (demonstrative):
- focused on coaching performers (students, ensembles, or community groups)
- open to an audience
- may include 5–10 minutes of spoken framing
For masterclass proposals involving performers: Please indicate:
- performer(s) or ensemble
- size and level
- repertoire or focus area
- any preferred ANU collaborator (if applicable)
Participant considerations:
- workshops: please specify target group and maximum numbers
- all sessions may include symposium participants and, where appropriate, community attendees
Submission Guidelines
Please submit:
- a proposal of up to 250 words (include a title and indicate the strand of your proposal)
- a brief biography (not included in the word limit)
- an overview of technical requirements and spaces required (not included in the word limit)
- Any additional requirements specific to the format, including collaborators (if relevant), target audience for workshops etc.
Submissions are now open, closing at 5pm on 21 September 2026.
Submit your proposal here.