The Sounds of Cinema. International Congress for 100 Years of Music in Film | 25-27.11.2027
We are delighted to announce that the Krzysztof Penderecki Academy of Music in Kraków from 25-27 November 2027 will host a unique international event celebrating one hundred years of music in film:
THE SOUNDS OF CINEMA.
INTERNATIONAL CONGRESS FOR 100 YEARS OF MUSIC IN FILM
The central theme of the Congress will be a reflection on the phenomenon of film music as an artistic, cultural, and technological practice that has continuously shaped the language of cinema and our experience of moving images for almost a century.
From the earliest accompaniments to silent films to contemporary soundtracks created with the support of artificial intelligence, film music has remained one of the defining elements of audiovisual storytelling. It creates emotional landscapes, structures cinematic time and space, shapes the identity of characters, and contributes to the cultural memory shared by successive generations of audiences.
The Congress aims to provide an international forum for scholars, composers, music theorists, film and media researchers, cultural scholars, and professionals from the film industry. It seeks both to reflect upon the achievements of film music scholarship to date and to explore new directions for this interdisciplinary field in the context of contemporary aesthetic, technological, and social transformations. Particular attention will be devoted to the relationships between music, image, and audience, as well as to the future of film music in the era of new media.
MAIN THEMATIC AREAS:
1. History and Heritage of Film Music
2. Aesthetics, Analysis, and Audiovisual Narrative
3. Composition, Technology, and New Media
4. Culture, Society, and the Future of Film Music
Participants are encouraged to approach their topics from broad interdisciplinary perspectives. We strongly recommend in-person participation. The official language of the Congress will be English.
We warmly invite scholars and practitioners to submit their proposals!
Submission guidelines
We invite proposals for twenty-minute presentations in English. Please submit your abstract by 15 March 2027 to: soundsofcinema@amuz.krakow.pl (contact person: Maria Wilczek-Krupa)
Please attach a single Word document (.docx) containing:
- the author’s full name,
- institutional affiliation,
- a short biographical note (up to 100 words),
- the title of the paper and an abstract (up to 300 words),
- keywords,
- details of any audiovisual equipment required.
All abstracts will undergo a review process, and authors will be notified of acceptance by the end of March 2027. Notification of acceptance, as well as all information regarding registration, will be sent by email.
Conference fee:
Academics: €140
Students and doctoral candidates: €70
The conference fee does not include travel or accommodation expenses.
Complete information:
Programme and organising committee:
Maria Wilczek-Krupa
Ewa Czachorowska-Zygor
Agnieszka Draus
Andrzej Mądro
Piotr Karola