The second International Convention for the Global Western Art Music (GWAM) Network will take place from 7 to 10 May, 2026, at the Faculty of Music of the University of Toronto, in partnership with the Canadian Music Centre. By focusing on ‘Global Musical Modernities and Local Agency’ this event builds on the discussions during the inaugural symposium of the Network at the University of Chicago in November 2024 (Global Western Art Music Symposium). 

The four-day event features a keynote address by Professor Daniel Chua, whose definition of 'Global' lies at the heart of our project, as well as a concert by the British-Lebanese flautist, Wissam Boustany, and a lecture-recital by pianist-in-residence Eve Egoyan. Their programmes will explore notions of musical identity, particularly as related to Middle-Eastern and Armenian composers.

Other invited performers include: Evergreen Club Contemporary Gamelan and Interwoven.

Musical modernities within the global context tend to be associated with and measured against the influence of Eurocentric (classical) music. Such considerations often ignore or minimise local agency and its manifestations, be it resistance to the colonialist/ imperialist influence or adaptation and legitimisation of unfamiliar music and its aesthetics. By convening this conference in Toronto for an international community of scholars, enthusiasts, practitioners, and emerging voices, we aim to address this important lacuna in scholarship and musical awareness. We seek to address the pressing challenges surrounding the legacy and legitimacy of so-called Western Art Music, by centring global musical modernities as sites of relationality and contact zones for intercultural exchanges and encounters, including problematic ones.

Questions addressed at the Conference include but are not limited to:

• How do local musical traditions reinterpret and integrate global musical influences to create unique contemporary soundscapes?
• In what ways do global musical modernities challenge and reshape traditional notions of cultural identity and heritage?
• How have historical and contemporary encounters between Western and non-Western musical traditions influenced the evolution of global music practices?
• What role does local agency play in the preservation and innovation of musical traditions within the context of global cultural exchanges?
• How do musicians and composers from diverse cultural backgrounds navigate and negotiate the tensions between global musical trends and local artistic expressions?
• What impact do cross-cultural collaborations and interdisciplinary approaches have on the development of new musical forms and genres?
• How can the study of global musical modernities contribute to broader discussions on decolonization as well as equity, diversity, and inclusion within the arts and humanities?
• How may we articulate novel approaches to the current historical moment, which is shaped by both the hardening of geopolitical boundaries and emerging formations of identity and belonging.

We invite scholars, practitioners and composers from all career stages to send proposals for individual papers (20 minutes), themed panels (3 to 4 speakers), roundtables, compositional/performance workshops, and lecture-recitals. We are particularly committed to amplifying underrepresented voices, as well as perspectives from scholars and artists of the Global South. Please send proposals of no longer than 300 words, accompanied by a short biographical note of 100 words to globalwamusic@gmail.com  Deadline for submission is 24 November, midnight (Eastern Time). 

Events will be livestreamed to maximise accessibility, and provisions will be made for remote presentation and participation for those unable to travel.

A collection of essays derived from the Toronto and Chicago events is planned for publication. More details will be given during the Toronto Conference. 
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Organisers: Prof. Robin Elliott (University of Toronto), Dr. Michelle Assay (King’s College London and University of Toronto)