Call for Music Performances & Installations

SMC 26 Submission Instructions

Theme: INTERPLAY

Inspired by the way Music Biennale Zagreb, in the first thirty years of its existence (1961–1991), functioned as an “interplay” between Eastern and Western European cultural and political discourses, we propose INTERPLAY and its heterotopic context as the central theme for the Sound and Music Computing Conference 2026. This theme emphasizes dynamic relations between humans, machines, and sonic environments, focusing on the reciprocal influences that emerge through technological mediation.

The notion of interplay encompasses multiple approaches. One perspective might examine how performers and intelligent systems co-create musical structure in real time in person and over distance, revealing new modes of shared agency. Another might investigate interactive sonic ecosystems, in which sensors, embodied interfaces, and adaptive algorithms continuously transform auditory feedback loops. Cognitive and perceptual dimensions of co-adaptation can also be explored, especially how users develop intuitive interaction strategies within complex sonic systems.

New methods and tools support these forms of interplay by enabling multimodal communication between human input, machine analysis, and sound synthesis. Such systems typically rely—besides expressive interface design and high-resolution sensing—on key processes such as modelling, prediction, gesture-to-sound mapping, and adaptive response. These are realised through classical signal analysis, machine-learning techniques, and deep neural networks that collaboratively advance gesture recognition, intention prediction, and context-dependent audio generation. In this expanded sense, interplay highlights the evolving entanglement of musical creativity and computational intelligence, opening possibilities for richer, more fluid human–machine musical interactions.

To reflect the wide range of research and artistic practices embraced by Sound and Music Computing, INTERPLAY welcomes contributions across the full spectrum of SMC-related fields, including but not limited to:

• Algorithms and systems for music composition
   
• Auditory display and sonification
   
• Automatic separation, recognition, classification of sound and music
   
• Automatic music generation/accompaniment systems
   
• Computational musicology and ethnomusicology
   
• Content processing of music audio signals
   
• Digital audio effects
   
• Hardware systems for sound and music computing
   
• Humanities in Sound and Music Computing
   
• Interactive performance systems
   
• Interfaces for sound and music
   
• Languages, protocols, and software environments
   
• Models for sound analysis and synthesis
   
• Multimodality in sound and music computing
   
• Music creation and performance
   
• Music information retrieval
   
• Music performance analysis and rendering
   
• Perception and cognition of sound and music
   
• Social interaction in sound and music computing
   
• Sonic interaction design
   
• Sound and music for accessibility and special needs
   
• Sound and music for AR/VR and games
   
• Sound/music and the neurosciences
   
• Sound/music signal processing algorithms
   
• Spatial sound, reverberation, and virtual acoustics
   
• Technologies for preservation, access, and modelling of musical heritage
   
• Telematic music, interaction, and co-creation
   

Music Submissions

All submissions will undergo a peer review process, but authors are not required to anonymize their contributions: SMC 2026 applies a single-blind peer review. All accepted papers will be included in the SMC 2026 Conference Proceedings, but publication is conditional on the presenting author’s participation in the conference. Please indicate in the submission form if the first author is a student. Information on registration procedures and fees will be published on this webpage. The proceedings will have an ISBN, and the electronic version will be available on the SMC website and on Zenodo.

The music performances and installations submission includes title, abstract, keywords, complete list of authors, project description and the URL of the recording. In addition please submit the technical rider and the score (optional) if there is one (maximum file size for each: 20MB).

This year, musical performances and installations will take place at KONTEJNER (Bureau of Contemporary Art Practice) and at the Academy of Music in Zagreb. We welcome submissions in the fields of electroacoustic music (including solo instrument with electronics), live electronics, fixed media, sound installations, acousmatic works, audiovisual projects, or any combination thereof.

• Candidates are welcome to perform their own works or to choose from one of the three available solo instruments: violin (including 6-string electric violin), cello, or percussion (see the list of available percussion instruments below). For additional percussion instruments that are not on the list and that you cannot bring along, please contact one of the music chairs before submitting. The above-mentioned performance spaces will be equipped with 8.2 and 23.2 respectively. The d&b audiotechnik sound system consists of:
• En-space: sound object and auto-speaker timing
• En-Space: real-time emulated room acoustics.
• The virtual source positions can be interactively changed via any software that supports the OSC communication protocol.
• More detailed info on d&b Soundscape here
• Proposed projects can have any audio configuration, starting with stereo, but should not exceed the maximum configurations.

Deadlines

Submission deadline (paper & music): March 27th, 2026

Review deadline: May 14th, 2026

Results notification: May 29th, 2026

For any questions, please contact

• Conference Chairs
  smc2026-papers@easychair.org
• Papers Chairs
  smc2026-papers@easychair.org
• Music Chairs
  smc2026-music@easychair.org
   

APPLY HERE