University News Last updated 13 January
More than 200 delegates from the UK and overseas gathered at RBC for the country’s largest annual event for postgraduate music research.
The British Forum for Ethnomusicology and Royal Musical Association (BFE-RMA) Research Students’ conference took place from Tuesday 6 to Thursday 8 January, featuring more than 100 conference papers, lecture recitals and composition workshops delivered by PhD students.
Across the three days, the programme included professional development workshops on topics such as publications and careers, alongside keynote addresses by early career researchers. RBC student performers played delegates' compositions and provided entertainment in the evening.
The event was jointly organised by staff and students from the BFE and RMA. It was led by those from RBC, giving doctoral researchers valuable experience in organising a large-scale international conference.
Co-chair of the Programme Committee and RBC doctoral researcher Juliane Deil said: "It was a pleasure to be a part of the organising committee and see this event come to life. Having been a student at the Conservatoire since 2021, it was especially lovely to see RBC students and staff members involved in offering unique workshops and performances as part of the conference. I am grateful to have been introduced to the behind the scenes of a career in music academia thanks to this conference."
Fellow co-chair and RBC's Research Degrees Coordinator Dr Carrie Churnside added: “It was an absolute delight to host the conference here. This is a key event in the calendar for all doctoral researchers in music, and one that I found enormously useful when I was a PhD student many years ago! It was wonderful to see the building filled with the next generation of music researchers, and a particular honour to work so closely with our fantastic doctoral students to bring this event to fruition.”
Pictured: Some of the delegates who attended the BFE-RMA Research Students’ conference at RBC.