Annual Study Weekend 2026

Held at the Radisson Blu Hotel, Cardiff

Draft events programme

Timings and other updates will be made as information becomes available.

Friday 24th April

13:00 Early arrival tours

14:00-15:45 – Registration

15:00 – Hotel check-in

16:00-16:45 – Archival resonances: enriching the performance of Welsh piano music through national partnerships | Zoe Smith

Over the past ten years, the RWCMD’s interest in Welsh music research has grown.  My research has emerged from performance, with two major projects driving my engagement with Welsh music archives.  The first project, Welsh Impressions, created with Tŷ Cerdd (Music Centre Wales), built on repertoire research undertaken for Welsh and international performances, particularly for the National Eisteddfod’s Encore series.  The second project focused on the composer David Harries, involving his family, Tŷ Cerdd and the National Library of Wales: curating anniversary concerts, with a commitment to record, edit and publish his solo piano music (in association with TC). Through setting this research in the context of Welsh classical music in the mid-late 20th century, key questions emerge about style, heritage and history, signposting areas for future research. Working in partnership with RWCMD, Tŷ Cerdd and the National Library of Wales, we have the possibility to continue to mine rich musical resources for many years to come.

16:45-17:30 – Speed date our artefact | Charity Dove

Several enthusiastic music specialists come together to convince the IAML delegates their artefact is the best.  There will be a prize!

17:30-18:30 – Dinner

18:45-19:15 – Exploring the Leeds Conservatoire Archive: an ongoing adventure into uncharted territory | Laura Johnson

In 2025, Leeds Conservatoire celebrated its 60th anniversary.  This milestone, and the need to represent it in some sort of tangible way, kickstarted a process of archival exploration and investigation.  In early 2024, we began digging through boxes with the anxiety and trepidation of two librarians with no archival experience.  We found concert programmes, newspaper cuttings, and random objects of dubious origin; most excitingly, we came across a series of giant scrapbooks compiled and annotated by a ‘tutor-librarian’ from the early 1970s onwards.  Combining these items and ephemera, we began to identify a narrative, found evidence of things we suspected, and discovered discrepancies in our original timeline that threatened to derail the anniversary celebrations from the outset…  In this paper, I will explore the history of the conservatoire as told through its institutional archive, showcase some of its most interesting items, and explore what goes wrong (and sometimes right!) when librarians moonlight as archivists.

19:15-20:00 – From library to concert hall, home and school: Paul Rissmann’s Alice concert suites for young audiences | Prof. Kiera Vaclavik

Sound has been of considerable significance in the afterlife of both of Lewis Carroll’s Alice books: some of the very earliest adaptations and tie-ins took the form of lavishly illustrated music sheets. A steady stream of musical responses and interpretations of the books has been produced ever since across a range of media from opera to pop, and most recently in concert suites which were a collaboration between composer Paul Rissmann and myself. Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass performed by the London Symphony Orchestra premiered at the Barbican, London, in November 2015 and 2022 respectively.  In this paper I will briefly outline the research process which draws on Carroll’s texts and Alice-based Victorian parlour music and will explore the ways in which Rissmann gives sonic form to key aspects of Carroll’s work.

20:00 – Drinks at the bar

Saturday 25th April

07:30-08:50 – Breakfast at Radisson

09:00-09:30 – News and updates

09:30-10:15 – Expression of emotion through music: Schubert songs, Japanese and UK performers, and a Bayesian model | Prof. Renee Timmers

What makes music a strong vehicle to express and communicate emotions? And what are differences in the way emotions are communicated through music depending on cultural context? In this presentation, I will address these questions drawing on three empirical investigations – one published, and two are in progress or under review. The first compares expression of a song’s emotion in historical and contemporary recordings of performances of Schubert songs. The second explores self-reported approaches to emotion in western classical music by Japanese and UK performers. And, the third models communication of emotion using a Bayesian model of perception. Research findings are illustrated with sound examples, allowing the audience to reflect on their experiences and impressions.

10:15-10:45 – Performance sets and ILL: what’s the cost? | Lee Noon

10:45-11:00 – Coffee/Tea Break

11:05-11:35 – Cataloguing for inclusion | Meg Fisher, Gail Tasker and Catherine Small

11:35-12:05 – Music Library Trust funding: how and why you should apply! | Katy Hamilton

12:05-12:35 – Copyright Literacy, Perception and Practices of Amateur Brass Band Music Librarians: friend or foe of brass band composers? | Emily Peart

12:35-13:00 – Music publishing and copyright: your questions answered | Chris Scobie and Simon Wright

13:00-14:00 – Buffet lunch

14:15-16:30 – Tours

  • Cardiff Central Library, or Cardiff Museum and their collections

14:15-16:30 – Self-guided tours

17:00-17:30 – AGM updates | Peter Linnitt

17:30-18:15 – The Field Recording Project: capturing the sound of the UK | Ella Roberts

This presentation will introduce The Field Recording Project, my interactive sound archive of the UK.  I will also explore the concept of field recording, and how these recordings can be used for scientific research and to boost wellbeing.  I aim to inform others of my online soundmap and encourage other libraries to share, use and contribute to this resource; to highlight the importance of audio resources for music research and creation; and to demonstrate how field recording/listening to natural sound is a powerful way to support wellbeing.

18:15-18:30 – Break

18:30-19.00 – Drinks reception

19:00-21:00 – Dinner (formal)

Sunday 26th April

07:30-08:50 – Breakfast

09:00-09:30 – News and updates

09:30-10:00 – Sound and music: how does it all work? A gentle amble through the physics of sound and music | Antony Gordon

What is sound and how do we perceive it? The harmonic series and the circle spiral of fifths leading to temperaments. The classification of instruments. How sound is recorded and reproduced. Into the digital domain – is it really forever?

10:00-10:45 – Panel discussion: AI and assistive technology supporting the music user | Antony Gordon, Judith Dray and Charity Dove

10:45-11:15 – Coffee Break

11:15-12:00 – Special collections in vocational performing arts education | Mandie Garrigan and Judith Dray

Special collections have been underused in conservatoire education, especially at the undergraduate level. The perception that these collections are disconnected from the practical aspects of performing arts has contributed to their underuse. However, at RWCMD, a fresh approach has been taken to integrate special collections into learning and teaching activity. Since the Foyle Opera Rara Collection arrived at RWCMD, it has been used widely in teaching and learning. Research supports the idea that object-based learning is particularly beneficial for undergraduate students, including those who are neurodivergent, but existing research has not examined its relevance to performing arts education. The relevance of this approach is further underscored by the growing population of neurodivergent students in conservatoires, underscoring the need for inclusive teaching practices. In this presentation, we share our experiences in developing and embedding object-based learning in performing arts education. We provide insights into the potential benefits of this approach for a diverse student body, acknowledging its potential as a transformative force in performing arts education.

12:00-12:45 – Once upon a Cardiff IAML: how our career began here! | Charity Dove and Peter Linnitt

The journey of several enthusiastic music professionals – who knows where your path will lead?

13:00-14:00 – Fork Buffet