International Council for Traditions of Music and Dance

A Non-Governmental Organization in Formal Consultative Relations with UNESCO

ICTM Study Group on Music and Dance in Southeastern Europe

The ICTM Study Group Study Group on Music and Dance in Southeastern Europe was founded in 2008 to provide an international forum for scholars studying the music and dance from this region. The group follows the ICTM’s foundation of considering both music and dance together.

Southeastern Europe is a region that has particularly rich and varied music and dance traditions. The region is centered on the Balkan Peninsula and includes the surrounding countries of Turkey, Romania and Hungary. The position of this region has been historically a crossroads between eastern and western cultures, between the European and Ottoman cultures, which has resulted in social, cultural and political transitions that are reflected in the traditional and contemporary music and dance of this region. The interplay between the heterogeneous population of southeastern Europe and the homogeneousity in traditions has long provoked the interest of scholars, musicians and dancers.

This group serves as a forum for cooperation between scholars both from this region and from other parts of the world through meetings, projects, publications and correspondence. It is open to all ICTM members who are specialists in this region or from related fields of research whose contributions are relevant to traditional music and dance in Southeastern Europe.

Symposia

The Study Group organises an international Symposium every two years usually held at a location in one of the countries within the region. The proceedings of each Symposia have been published as a book that presents a full written record of each of these meetings.

List of Past Symposia

  • 2022 - 8th Symposiun held in Istanbul, hosted by the ICTM national committee of Turkey
  • 2021 - 7th Symposium held online, hosted by the ICTM national committee of Turkey
  • 2018 - 6th Symposium held in Sinj, Croatia organised by the Institute of Ethnology and Folklore, Zagreb
  • 2016 - 5th Symposium at the South-West University "Neofit Rilski", Blagoevgrad, Bulgaria
  • 2014 - 4th Symposium held in Petnica, Serbia organised by the Faculty of Music, Belgrade
  • 2012 - 3rd Symposium held in Berovo, North Macedonia organised by the ICTM National Committee
  • 2010 - 2nd Symposium at the Ege Üniversitesi, Izmir, Turkey
  • 2008 - 1st Symposium held in Struga, North Macedonia, organised by the Macedonian Composer’s

Sub-Study Groups

Members of this Study Group who share mutual interests are encouraged to arrange meetings and projects in addition to the biennial Symposia organised by the Group. To date three sub study groups have been established.

1. Sub-Study Group on "military connections" in Music and Dance in Southeastern Europe

2. Sub-Study Group on "Koçek"

3. Sub-Study Group on music and dance in the Black Sea cultural basin (founded in April 2021)

The Black Sea cultural basin can be defined as a very large area that unites the Balkan, Crimea, Azov, Caspian, Caucasian and Anatolian geographically. Although there have been many ethnic and cultural layers and intersections across different regions of the Black Sea, there have been relatively few studies until today in the field of music and dance. Therefore, we would like to reveal new studies with the idea of discovering the links from the past of the Black Sea cultural basin in different perspectives. Please join us and let us re-think the music and dance in the Black Sea Cultural basin together.

Group committee officers

Chairperson: Mehmet Öcal Özbilgin (Turkey)
Email: ocal.ozbilgin(at)ege.edu.tr

Vice Chairperson: Velika Stojkova Serafimovska (North Macedonia)
Email: lika73(at)yahoo.com

Dance Liaison: Iva Niemčić (Croatia)
Email: iva(at)ief.hr

Music Liaison: Ivanka Vlaeva (Bulgaria)
Email: i_vlaeva(at)abv.bg

Secretary: Liz Mellish (UK/Romania)
Email: ictm.see@gmail.com

Application for Membership

To join the group please send an email to the secretary.

Final call for papers: Ninth symposium of the ICTM Study Group on Music and Dance in Southeastern Europe

Organised by the ICTMD Study Group on Music and Dance in Southeastern Europe, in co-operation with the “Folklore Archive of the Romanian Academy Institute in Cluj-Napoca” and “Babeș-Bolyai University - Student Folk Ensemble Mugurelul”.

Place and time

Cluj-Napoca, Romania, 21-27 October 2024.

Call for papers: Ninth symposium of the ICTM Study Group on Music and Dance in Southeastern Europe

DEADLINE FOR SUBMISSIONS: 31 March 2024

We are pleased to announce the Ninth Symposium of the ICTM Study Group on Music and Dance in Southeastern Europe and invite proposals to be submitted by 31 March 2024.

Place and time

Cluj-Napoca, Romania, 21-27 October 2024.

Report on Joint Field Research in Türkiye and Georgia 13–23 October 2023

Report on Study Groups on Music and Dance in Southeastern Europe & Ethnochoreology Sub-Study Group on Music and Dance in the Black Sea Cultural Basin& Sub-Study Group on Field Research Theory and Methods, Joint Field Research in Türkiye and Georgia October 13 – 23. 2023, by Mehmet Öcal ÖZBİLGİN & Izumi FAIRBANKS.

This fieldwork was organized by ICTM Türkiye (Mehmet Öcal ÖZBİLGİN – National Organizer, Abdullah AKAT – Local Organizer, İdris Ersan KÜÇÜK – Secretary), and there were 11 participants from 6 different countries.

Announcement: Ninth Symposium of the ICTM Study Group on Music and Dance in Southeastern Europe

21–27 October 2024, Cluj-Napoca, Romania

Deadline for submissions: 31 March 2024. Full call for papers and instructions for submission of abstracts will be issued in October 2023.

Call for papers: Eighth symposium of the ICTM Study Group on Music and Dance in Southeastern Europe

DEADLINE FOR SUBMISSIONS: 10 January 2022
We are pleased to announce the Eighth Symposium of the ICTM Study Group on Music and Dance in Southeastern Europe and invite proposals to be submitted by 10 January 2022.

Place and time

Istanbul, Turkey 9 – 15 May 2022

Call for papers: Seventh symposium of the ICTM Study Group on Music and Dance in Southeastern Europe

DEADLINE FOR SUBMISSIONS: 20 September 2019
We are pleased to announce the Seventh Symposium of the ICTM Study Group on Music and Dance in Southeastern Europe and invite proposals to be submitted by 10 September 2019.

Place and time

Trabzon, Turkey 13 – 17 April 2020

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