CfP: Music & Philosophy Study Group (9.-10.7.2026, Dublin City University) Deadline: 31.10.2025
RMA Music and Philosophy Study Group 2026: Call for Papers
10th Conference of the Royal Musical Association Music & Philosophy Study Group,
Dublin City University, Thursday and Friday, 9–10 July 2026
https://musicandphilosophy.ac.uk/call-for-papers-mpsg26/
Keynote speakers to be announced
The RMA Music and Philosophy Study Group warmly invites session and paper proposals for this two-day international conference, to be held in Dublin on 9–10 July 2026. The event will offer an opportunity for those with an interest in music and philosophy to share and discuss their work, in the hope of furthering dialogue in this area.
We are soliciting session and paper proposals under the following headings:
Themed sessions, will be organised by individual session convenors, who have issued calls for papers on specific topics;
Associates Sessions, hosted by organisations with related interests;
Free Sessions, open to papers on all topics relating to music and philosophy.
Proposals may be on any topic relating to music and philosophy broadly conceived. We take “music" to include the study of all forms and genres of music and musicmaking from all historical and geographical settings intended for all kinds of venues, audiences, and modes of creation, performance, and consumption; we take “music studies” to encompass inquiry that falls under the heading of “sound studies”. We take “philosophy" to include the study and practice of all traditions of philosophical thought around the world and from all historical periods, including what may be referred to as analytic, continental, feminist, Black, Indigenous, and classical/ancient philosophies, critical theory, and philosophies from outside the North Atlantic.
Subject to the MPSG receiving additional funding, a limited number of bursaries will be available for presenters who do not have access to institutional funding. Priority will be given to early career applicants and members of underrepresented groups. Expression of interest will be possible alongside abstract submission via the website.
Call for Themed Sessions
We seek enthusiastic individuals to propose Themed Sessions on topics that are focused yet inclusive. All topics and formats (including but not limited to workshops, roundtables, and experimental formats) will be considered but should be designed to encourage submissions from both music studies and philosophy, whilst assuming a broad and inclusive definition of each. The maximum overall time available for the session will be 2 hours.
If you would like to host such a session, please submit a 300-word draft call for papers/contributions that will also function as a session abstract by 8 September 2025 through the website (https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSegbld9KfAxYv9jZSWfREzTRHRukj8wFCqFGQxMYbrel6ppqw/viewform). The draft call for papers should focus on the topic of, and rationale for, the session.
We hope to communicate decisions on the selection of Themed Sessions within a week, with a further deadline of 31 October 2025 for submission of paper abstracts (where applicable) to session organisers. Organisers will be asked to submit paper choices to the programme committee by 17 November 2025. The intention is that the programme committee will, in most circumstances, simply approve the organisers’ choices, however the committee reserve the right to request changes if there are problems of topical balance or scholarly quality. Final decisions on panel acceptance will be communicated in December 2025.
Call for Associates Sessions
Related organisations, including scholarly societies, study groups, and institutional departments, are warmly invited to host a session at the conference. The topic and organisation of such sessions is left to the host; sessions may feature invited speakers. All formats (including but not limited to workshops, roundtables, and experimental formats) will be considered; the maximum overall time available for the session will be 2 hours.
If you would like to be involved in this way, please submit your session abstract (of up to 350 words), proposed paper titles, and speaker names where applicable through our website (https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSc8Y3gNEDPVui2vL5ZBGsLGPunLgVkZasQCkB__GDAVtUwLqQ/viewform) by 31 October 2025. Decisions will be communicated in December 2025; individual paper abstracts and speaker biographies for accepted panels will be solicited from organisers in early 2026.
Call for Free Papers and Lecture-Recitals
We invite submissions for papers on any topic relating to music and philosophy (as defined above). Regardless of disciplinary affiliation, the committee seeks conceptually rigorous and clearly articulated research that presents a novel argument and advances understanding of its topic. Collaboration between people from different disciplines (including music studies, philosophy, performance, composition, psychology, history, literary studies, art history, anthropology, and others) would be especially welcomed.
Proposals are invited for:
• individual papers (20 minutes) – up to 350 words
• collaborative papers (up to 30 minutes) – up to 500 words
• lecture recitals (30 minutes) – up to 350 words*
* Lecture recitals should demonstrate a balance of scholarly rigour with musical performance, making clear connections between music and philosophical themes and/or concepts.
Please submit proposals by 31 October 2025 through our website (https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1yLAzhCr57TRXjix8zMF1LGAVlFW4JoHWmdNAeH6LhdI/edit) .
Decisions will be communicated in December 2025. All paper submissions will be considered by blind review by the programme committee:
• Dr Clare Lesser (Independent)
• Professor Derek Matravers (Open University)
• Dominik Mitterer (Durham University)
• Dr Friedlind Riedel (Salzburg University)
• Dr Férdia Stone-Davis (University of Cambridge)
• Professor Naomi Waltham-Smith (University of Oxford)
• Dr Samuel Wilson (Guildhall School of Music & Drama)
If you have queries about the CFP and submitting a proposal, please contact the Chair of the RMA Music & Philosophy Study Group Dr Férdia Stone-Davis, fjs23[at]cam[dot]ac[dot]uk.