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For the second time, the International Society for Orthodox Church Music [ISOCM] will host its pan-Orthodox music symposium at Saint Mary Cathedral here from Wednesday, June 20 through Sunday, June 24, 2018. Online registration for the event is now open. Participants who register before February 1, 2018 will receive an early-bird discount.
The symposium is open to all—chanters, choir singers, composers, conductors, and musicologists. The conference theme, “Orthodox Liturgical Music: Ancient and Modern Creativity,” will be explored through presentations, workshops, music reading sessions, and rehearsals. Organizers hope the theme will inspire participants to reflect on their role and responsibility in creating a liturgical experience that engages the faithful.
“This, the second international symposium we have organized in the United States, builds upon the huge success of the previous edition in 2016, and will similarly, in its broad scope, enable us all to learn from each other and together to enrich the worship of the Church,” said Archpriest Ivan Moody, who chairs ISOCM’s Board. “For this symposium, we have chosen a theme that allows us to reflect on our received musical traditions while also considering the future. We hope the presentations at the symposium, as last time, will stimulate deep discussion and motivation for greater collaboration among those who participate in the music of the Orthodox Church throughout the world.”
The keynote address, which will focus on creative solutions in contemporary Orthodox Church music, will be given by Professor Bogdan Djaković, ISOCM board member and Professor at the Academy of Arts in Novi Sad, Serbia. His presentation will be held on Saturday afternoon, June 23 for symposium participants and the general public.
Attendees will participate in daily choir rehearsals in preparation for the weekend’s Hierarchical All-Night Vigil and Divine Liturgy. The Symposium also will feature presentations by other international and US-based liturgical music specialists.
“The paper proposals we’ve received indicate that there’s a high level of excellence in the world of Orthodox music, and we will are looking forward to sharing the full schedule and program with everybody in January,” said Richard Barrett, a Symposium organizer.
Also available online is information on the Symposium’s tentative schedule and hotel and travel details.
Founded in 2005, the ISOCM seeks to provide an open platform for musicians, musicologists, singers, and composers that encourages dialogue and the exchange of information and ideas and inspires cooperation. The Society sees the promotion of communication between East and West as one of its priorities and hosts biannual conferences at the University of Eastern Finland on its Joensuu campus. The Society also hosts regional symposia and gatherings elsewhere throughout the world to help create opportunities for collaboration and the sharing of knowledge in the field of Orthodox liturgical music.