Conferences and Congresses

Canada has played host with increasing frequency to meetings of worldwide and North American musical organizations. This has been the result of a number of factors: the growth of international organizations in all fields of music after World War II, the effective participation of Canadians in such organizations, the improvement of conference and concert facilities in Canada, and encouragement and support from agencies such as the Canada Council, the Dept of External Affairs, the Secretary of State, the CBC, the NFB, and the provincial governments.

Groups concerned with composers and composition, contemporary music, folk music, musicology, ethnomusicology, libraries, education, orchestra personnel, youth orchestras, and the playing and teaching of specific instruments have gathered in Canada. The following list cites some of the more important of these gatherings.

1947-73

1947

Women's Association for Symphony Orchestras. Toronto. Host: TSO Women's Committee

1955

Fédération internationale des Jeunesses musicales, 10th general assembly. Montreal. Host: JMC (YMC)

1960

International Conference of Composers. Stratford, Ont. Sponsors: CLComp, CBC, the Canada Council, the Stratford Festival, and others. Directed by Louis Applebaum

Music Library Association. Montreal. Hosts: Canadian Library Association and American Library Association

1961

International Folk Music Council, 14th annual conference. Quebec City. Host: CFMS (CSMT)

International Week of Today's Music. Montreal. Sponsor: the Montreal Festivals. Organized by Pierre Mercure

1962

International Orff-Schulwerk Conference. Toronto. Host: University of Toronto. Attended by Orff

1967

CIDEM (Inter-American Music Council). Toronto. Host: CMCouncil. Directed by Arnold Walter

Fédération internaionale des Jeunesses musicales, 22nd general assembly. Montreal. Host: JMC (YMC)

International Congress of Organists. Toronto, Montreal, Ottawa. Host: RCCO

1968

Renaissance Symposium, University of Toronto

1970

American Musicological Society and the College Music Society, joint annual meeting. Toronto. Host: University of Toronto

World Saxophone Congress (the third). Toronto. Directed by Paul Brodie

1971

American Bandmasters' Association, 37th annual convention. Toronto

1972

Society for Ethnomusicology, 17th annual convention. Toronto. Host: University of Toronto

1973

American Federation of Musicians of the United States and Canada, 76th annual convention. Toronto

Women's Association for Symphony Orchestras. Montreal. Host: MSO Women's Committee

1975-80

1975

'Guitar '75'. Toronto. Host and sponsor: Guitar Society of Toronto

International Association of Music Libraries. Montreal. Host: CAML. Chairman of the organizing committee: Kathleen M. Toomey

International Free-Bass Accordion Symposium (the first). Toronto. Co-sponsors: RCMT and Contemporary Showcase. Organized by Joseph Macerollo

International Music Council, 16th general assembly. Calgary, Toronto, Ottawa, Montreal, Quebec City. Host: CMCouncil. Chairman of planning committee: John Roberts. Included World Music Week in its framework

Major (Orchestra) Managers' Conference. Toronto. Host: TS manager Walter Homburger

1976

Fédération internationale des Jeunesses musicales, 31st general assembly. Magog, Que. Host: JMC (YMC), at the JMC Orford Art Centre

International Double-Reed Society (fifth meeting). Toronto. Host: University of Toronto. Program chairman, Christopher Weait

1977

International Kodály Symposium (the third). Wolfville, NS. Host: Acadia University

1978

CISAC (International Conference of Societies of Authors and Composers), 31st congress. Toronto and Montreal. Host: CAPAC

'Guitar '78'. Toronto. Host and sponsor: Guitar Society of Toronto

International Clarinet Congress and Clinic. Toronto. Host: University of Toronto. Directed by Ezra Schabas

ISME (International Society for Music Education), 13th biennial international conference. London, Ont. Host: University of Western Ontario. Directed by Donald A. McKellar

1979

Society for Ethnomusicology, 24th annual convention. Montreal. Host: University of Montreal

Central Opera Service, National Conference. Toronto. Host: COC

1980

Symposium of Contemporary Orchestral Music. Calgary. Host: Alberta Composers' Association with University of Calgary as part of Alberta's 75th Anniversary Fine Arts Festival

1981-86

1981

The Organ in Our Time. Montreal. Host: McGill University, international symposium

1983

Canadian Music of the 1950s. London, Ont. Host: University of Western Ontario. Proceedings published

Sociology of Music - an exploration of issues. Peterborough. Host: Trent University. Organized by John Shepherd

1984

American Symphony Orchestra League. Toronto. Co-sponsor: ACO

International Performing Arts Conference/Conférence international des arts de la scène. Montreal.

ISCM/SIMC World Music Days/Journées mondial de la musique. Toronto and Montreal. Host of Canadian section: CMCouncil. Included a two-day International Symposium in Toronto on contemporary music theatre.

Violin Society of America, 12th annual convention and 6th international competition and exhibition for violins, violas, cellos and their bows. Ottawa

1985

American Musicological Society/College Music Society/Society for Ethnomusicology/Society for Music Theory, joint annual meeting. Vancouver. Host: University of British Columbia

International Association for the Study of Popular Music/Association international pour l'étude de la musique populaire, 3rd International Conference on Popular Music Studies/3e Congrès international des études en musique populaire. Montreal

International Computer Music Conference. Burnaby, BC. Under auspices ofComputer Music Association. Host: Simon Fraser University, director Barry Truax

JM, 32nd world congress, 'Music of the Americas'. Montreal, Quebec City, Ottawa, and Toronto. Host: JMC (YMC)

Popular Music in the University. Ottawa. Host: Carleton University

1986

Canadian Music in the 30s and 40s. Kingston, Ont. Host: Queen's University. Proceedings published

Hello Out There! - conference on Canadian music. Toronto. Sponsors: University of Toronto, Institute for Canadian Music, and CMCentre, Ontario region. Host: University of Toronto. Proceedings published

Sing Out the Glad News: Hymn Tunes in Canada. Toronto. Sponsor: Institute for Canadian Music. Host: University of Toronto. Proceedings published

28th Annual Canadian-American Seminar for Canadian-American Studies. Windsor. Host: U. of Windsor

1987-91

1987

Canadian Music Festival and Conference. San Diego, Calif. Part of the celebrations of the International Year of Canadian Music. Host: San Diego State University

Colloquium Glenn Gould Plural/Colloque Glenn Gould Pluriel. Montreal: Host: Société d'Ésthétique du Québec and Canadian Society for Aesthetics. Directed by Ghyslaine Guertin

Symposium de saxophone. Montreal. Sponsors: North American Saxophone Alliance, UQAM Music Dept

1988

The Adaskin Years: a celebration of Canada's arts, 1930-1970. Victoria. Host: University of Victoria. Coordinated by Glen B. Carruthers.

First Conference on Ethnomusicology in Canada/Premier congrès sur l'ethnomusicologie au Canada. Toronto. Sponsors: Institute for Canadian Music, University of Toronto, and York University. Host: University of Toronto. Proceedings published

National Folk Arts Conference/Conference National sur les arts populaires. Winnipeg. Organised by CCA for Secretary of State. Chair: Mavor Moore

1989

Association of Colleges and Conservatories of Music. Toronto. Host: RCMT

The Fifth Stream. Waterloo, Ont. Sponsors: Wilfrid Laurier University, Institute for Canadian Music, University of Toronto, Numus Concerts. Host: Wilfrid Laurier University. Proceedings published

International Symposium on Arts for Young Audiences. Vancouver. Organized by the Canadian Institute of the Arts for Young Audiences/Institut canadien des arts pour jeunes publics

1990

Music Industry in a Changing World. Ottawa. Host: Carleton University. Proceedings published.

16th Annual Conference of Sonneck Society. Toronto. Hosts: Institute for Canadian Music, University of Toronto, College Music Society, and ARMuQ

The Sound of the Drum. Brantford, Ont. Host: the Woodland Indian Cultural Education Centre, on Native musical traditions

1991

Conference on Culture and Technology. Montreal. Sponsor: Dept of Communications, Government of Canada

Fédération francophone des amis de l'orgue, 8th international congress. Quebec City

Fédération francophone des amis de l'orgue, 4th symposium. Montreal

International Computer Music Conference, Montreal. Under auspices of Computer Music Association. Host: McGill University

International Kodály Symposium (the tenth). Calgary. Host: University of Calgary

Canadian organizations which hold regular meetings, conventions, or conferences of national scope include the Association canadien de la radio et de la télévision de la langue française, the Association of Canadian Choral Conductors, ACO, the Canadian Association for Music Therapy (proceedings published), the CAMLthe CCA, the CFMTA, the CLComp, the CMEA, the CSMT, the CUMS, the Conférence international des arts de la scène (CINARS), the Canadian Electroacoustic Community, the Federation of Canadian Music Festivals, Youth and Music Canada, the Kodály Society of Canada, the Ragtime Society (Toronto), and the RCCO. In the area of popular music RPM magazine sponsors an annual three-day convention prior to the announcement of the Juno Award winners. In collaboration with ACME RPM also sponsors an annual Big Country Awards weekend.

See also Exhibitions