Following the cancellation of the 34th ISME World Conference in 2020, scheduled for Helsinki, ISME is very pleased to announce that the 36th ISME World Conference will be held in that city with the generous support of the Sibelius Academy, UniArts. It was a huge disappointment to have to cancel, after two and a half years of planning, but that work is not lost now with this welcome return.

Helsinki is a magnificent city. The Finlandia Hall and the Sibelius Academy, UniArts are superb facilities. The team at UniArts are dedicated and very generous with their time and expertise. It will be an amazing world conference.

The theme is:  Advocacy for sustainability in music education

Music education has a crucial role in advancing the wellbeing of the individual, community and society. The uncertain times further highlight the importance of envisioning, exploring and advocating for the many opportunities music education can offer for enhancing a sense of belonging, equity and inclusion as well as ecological sustainability. What can we learn from the other arts, Indigenous traditions and past and emerging musical practices around the world in our efforts of advancing resilient societies and ecosystems? And how could we ensure equitable access to music learning opportunities and participation within the wide variety of musics? The 36th World Conference provides a platform that invites music educators and other stakeholders to ask novel questions, imagine ways forward and create new partnerships for change. The conference will open avenues to explore a sphere of possibilities for pursuing and advocating for sustainability in and through music education.