The Institute of Instrumental and Vocal Pedagogy at the Brandenburg Technical University Cottbus-Senftenberg is delighted to be the venue for the next annual congress of the Association of German-speaking Music Theory (GMTH). The city of Cottbus and its surroundings are well worth a visit: located approximately 130 km south-east of Berlin, not far from the Polish border and surrounded by numerous recreational areas, such as the Spreewald or Lake Senftenberg, it presents itself as an up-and-coming cultural and scientific centre of a region undergoing structural change − from an industrial and lignite mining area to a science and tourist centre as well as a location for innovative and sustainable energies.
Cottbus city centre has undergone major changes in recent years. In addition to the attractive market square, the Spremberg Tower, and other sights, the central campus of Cottbus University offers a nationally recognised architectural highlight: the IKMZ (Information, Communication, and Media Centre) was awarded the German Architecture Prize in 2007. Cottbus Central Station, Station of the Year 2021, has been renovated and expanded with good connections from all directions. The nearest airports are in Berlin (BER), Dresden (DRS), and Leipzig/Halle (LEJ).
The theme of this yearʼs conference is therefore to be taken literally: “Music Theory in Transition” not only describes current changes within the discipline, but also this yearʼs GMTH annual conference as an event in itself, which transports the discourse on the subject into a rapidly changing region with its own cultural self-image. Four thematically predetermined sections as well as a section for free contributions offer plenty of room for a broad spectrum of contributions as the basis for thought-provoking discussions involving current questions about, problems related to, and diverse perspectives on music theory.