ISCM – International Society for Contemporary Music

ISCM is an international network of members from around fifty countries, devoted to the promotion and presentation of contemporary music - the music of our time.

The International Society for Contemporary Music (ISCM) is a premier forum for the advancement, dissemination and interchange of new music from around the world. Through ISCM, our members promote contemporary music in all its varied forms, strengthening musical life in their local contexts and making their music and its creators known to the world.

The ISCM embraces the diverse music of its many members without discrimination on the basis of race, gender, religion, or politics. It values open and democratic procedures in the formation and enactment of policy, including the decision (made by the General Assembly of all its members) regarding where each World New Music Days festival will be held. The ISCM pledges to realize the equitable representation of nationality, gender, and age of composers and musicians in all of its programming. As an international organization of artists, we support diversity and ensure to promote it.


UPCOMING ISCM FESTIVAL


ISCM WORLD NEW MUSIC DAYS 2026

The 2026 WNMD will be hosted by the Romanian Section of the ISCM, from 23 to 31 May 2026, in Bucharest. More details about the festival are available here.

WNMD – World (New) Music Days

The annual ISCM World Music Days Festival is organized each year by a different host. The festival presents music from each of our members, showcasing the incredible diversity of musical practice in our time.

World New Music Magazine

The WNM Magazine is an annually published magazine on contemporary music published by the ISCM. It is published in connection to ISCM's annual festival World (New) Music Days, hosted by one of ISCM's members.

ISCM Activities

ISCM arranges many activities throughout the year. These are the ISCM Young Composer Awards, ISCM-VICC Composer in Residency program and ISCM Collaborative Events that are activities co-organised by multiple ISCM Members.

Community & Opportunities

ISCM´s Community is where the ISCM members can promote and meet in activities or oppurtunities to other members like Competitions, Festivals, Conferences / Workshops or Residences.

News from the ISCM & its members

Tobias Klich wins Gaudeamus Prize 2013

By ISCM | September 9, 2013

Polar Music Prize 2013 for Youssou N’Dour and Kaija Saariaho

By ISCM | August 19, 2013

Kotaro Morikawa wins 1st International Contest for Musical Composition “Audire Musica delle Sfere”

By ISCM | August 15, 2013

Michel van der Aa wins Mauricio Kagel Music Prize 2013

By ISCM | April 26, 2013

Naomi Pinnock awarded first prize in the Günter Bialas Composition Competition 2013

By ISCM | April 18, 2013

2013/07/01 – The BBVA Foundation Frontiers of Knowledge Awards

By ISCM | April 2, 2013

2013/05/15 – Ticino Musica

By ISCM | February 14, 2013

Michel van der Aa wins 2013 Grawemeyer Award for Music Composition

By ISCM | November 26, 2012

David Berezan wins 13th Electroacoustic Composition Competition Mùsica Viva 2012

By ISCM | October 8, 2012

Konstantin Heuer wins Gaudeamus Prize 2012

By ISCM | September 15, 2012

Thirteen compositions have been shortlisted for the Gaudeamus Prize 2013

By ISCM | September 6, 2012

Wen Liu winner of Ö1 talents Market Composition Prize 2012

By ISCM | September 4, 2012

Julia Hanadi Al Abed (France), Alejandro Montes De Oca (Mexique), Sam Salem (Royaume Uni) winners of the 10th Luc Ferrari COmpetition

By ISCM | September 4, 2012

Manuella Blackburn wins 7th Métamorphoses Acousmatic Composition Competition

By ISCM | September 1, 2012

Finalists of Forme Uniche 2012

By ISCM | August 15, 2012

ISCM WMD 2014 Call for Works

By ISCM | June 30, 2012

Friedrich Cerha awarded the Ernst von Siemens Music Prize

By ISCM | June 22, 2012

José Javier Torres Maldonado wins 5th Brandenburg Biennial Composition Award

By ISCM | June 19, 2012

Toru Takemitsu Award 2012 won by Federico Gardella and Ioannis Angelakis

By ISCM | May 30, 2012

RESULTS of the 2012 International Rostrum of Composers

By ISCM | May 25, 2012

The ISCM Virtual Collaborative Series