The Music4Change International Research School 2025 on the theme of Interdisciplinarity and Innovation in Music Research, took place between 23-26 September 2025 at Aristotle University of Thessaloniki.

Over the course of four days, we explored innovative paradigms of music and sound research across disciplines through presentations, performances, panel discussions, and workshops. The research school considered how interdisciplinarity and innovation are shaping contemporary research practices in music and sound, and how these practices resonate across fields and institutions.

Arts–science–technology collaborations, multimodal experimentation in the humanities and social sciences, and synergies between music, health, and education are transforming our fields in the 21st century. At the same time, the role of music research within higher education is under constant pressure. Pursuing innovation as music researchers while navigating political, economic, and environmental instabilities worldwide poses complex challenges.

The gathering examined interdisciplinarity and innovation critically and dialogically, raising questions about the multiple—and sometimes conflicting—meanings and implications these concepts bring to music research:

• How are interdisciplinarity and innovation understood and evaluated across different fields of research?
• What does sustainable interdisciplinary research and innovation look like?
• How does international collaboration contribute to interdisciplinary research and innovation?
• Is innovation the only paradigm for interdisciplinary research—or might there be alternatives?

Event committee:

• Prof. Jill Halstead, Grieg Research School in Interdisciplinary Music Studies, University of Bergen, Norway
• Prof. Katie Overy, Reid School of Music, ECA, University of Edinburgh, Scotland, UK
• Prof. Wolfgang Schmid, Faculty of Fine Art, Music and Design, University of Bergen, Norway
• Prof. Danae Stefanou, School of Music Studies, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece

Local organizing team:

• Dr. Evanthia Patsiaoura, School of Music Studies, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece
• Dr. Alexandra Karamoutsiou, School of Music Studies, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece
• Eva Matsigkou, School of Music Studies, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece

Invited Speakers:

The event adopted a dialogic format to engage with key themes. A series of curated panels brought together invited researchers and practitioners from different disciplines to share perspectives, methods, and practices through open exchange and discussion.

Panel One: Music therapy in neonatal and adult palliative care: Rethinking interdisciplinary and participatory practice and research

• Prof. Wolfgang Schmid, Faculty of Fine Art, Music and Design, University of Bergen, Norway
• Dr. Giorgos Tsiris, Queen Margaret University, Edinburgh, Scotland, UK
• Eva Vukich, PhD Candidate, The Grieg Academy, Bergen, Norway
• Dr. Friederike Haslbeck, Senior researcher, University of Zurich, Switzerland

Panel Two Interdisciplinary research and innovation in musical learning contexts

• Prof. Katie Overy, Reid School of Music, ECA, University of Edinburgh, Scotland, UK
• Matt Peacock, Co-Director, Arts & Homelessness International, UK
• Dr. Kirsteen Davidson Kelly, Chief Executive and Artistic Director, National Youth Orchestras of Scotland, UK
• Prof. Peter Nelson (Emeritus), Reid School of Music, ECA, University of Edinburgh, Scotland, UK

Panel Three: Making a Musical Difference

• Prof. Petter Frost Fadnes, Faculty of Performing Arts, University of Stavanger, Norway
• Heloise Baldelli, PhD Candidate, University of Stavanger, Norway
• Dr. Christophe De Bezenac, University of Liverpool, UK
• Prof. Nick Gebhardt, Director of Birmingham Centre for Media and Cultural Research, UK
• Prof. Raymond MacDonald, Reid School of Music, ECA, University of Edinburgh, Scotland, UK

Panel Four: Critical AI and artistic research

• Dr. Eleni Ikoniadou, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece (moderator)
• Prof. Artemi-Maria Gioti, Institute for Open Arts, Mozarteum University, Austria
• Lee Gamble, Independent Artist / Composer / Producer, UK
• Prof. Danae Stefanou, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece

Panel Five: (ERC-MUTE): Listening, recording, witnessing: ethics and challenges of Interdisciplinary artistic research

• Dr. Anna Papaeti, Principal Investigator ERC-MUTE, National Hellenic Research Foundation, Greece
• Nektarios Pappas, Phd Candidate at Athens School of Fine Arts
• Stefanos Levidis, co-founder and co-director of Forensic Architecture Initiative Athens (FAIA).
• Eva Matsigkou Phd Candidate, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki Department of Music Studies