VILNIUS, LITHUANIA

The 2026 WFIMC General Assembly in Vilnius

This year's conference will be held in two parts: an International Forum under the title "Inspiring the Future" for both Members, Laureates and Young Artists, well as the traditional General Assembly.

The 2026 WFIMC International Forum- a new format of our 2024/ 2025 Marketing Forums-  brings a lively exchange on the future of the performing arts, focusing on three interlinked pillars: creative programming, engaging new audiences, and pioneering performance formats. Designed as a meeting point between tradition and innovation, the Forum gives young artists, laureates, graduate students, cultural managers and of course all of our members practical tools and fresh inspiration to shape intentional, sustainable artistic futures. Following the International Forum, the traditional General Assembly will be held, focussing on Competition topics and current member issues. Along with the sessions, plenty of networking time is provided, receptions, dinners and concerts.

Below you will find a first conference schedule for your reference. Member Registration for the conference (both Forum and GA) will begin on 11 March (all registered members will receive invitations with registration links). Registration for the forum (non-members, artists, and professionals) will begin on 18 March. 

At the Forum, financial support for laureates and young artists will be available to help covering travel, hotel, and conference fees, courtesy of Arts Council Korea and the Gerber-ten-Bosch Stiftung. More details will be published in the next few weeks.

Along with the official invitation and registration letter on 11 March, we will also publish information on accommodation. Our colleagues in Vilnius have kindly reserved contingents for several hotels (including the Radisson Astoria, the Imperial Hotel and the St. Palace Hotel), all in walking distance from our venue, the Vilnius Town Hall, which is located in the center of the old town.

For those of you who would like to look into travel options, please refer to the schedule below. Vilnius offers convenient flights to Frankfurt, Amsterdam, Zurich, Vienna, Paris, Copenhagen, Helsinki, Istanbul, and many other cities.

We look forward to an exciting conference!

 

CONFERENCE SCHEDULE

Tuesday, 16 June 2026
WFIMC International Forum - Day I
 

                             Arrival in Vilnius

16:30-17:30        Registration and Networking
17:30-18:00        Welcome and Introductions
18:00-19:00        Opening Concert at Town Hall 
                            “REMASTERED” 
                             Hyung-ki Joo x vision string quartet
                             feat. Raphaela Gromes
19:00                   Welcome Reception
20:00                   WFIMC Late — Open Stage & 
                             Artist Lounge
 

Hyung-ki Joo

Raphaela Gromes

Wednesday, 17 June 2026
WFIMC International Forum - Day II

 

09:00                   Registration
09:30-11:00        Keynote and Session I 
                             Programming for Impact: 
                             Storytelling Across Disciplines
                             Blending Music, Visuals, and Place
11:00-11:30        Coffee break
11:30-12:30        Workshop Hyung-Ki Joo-  
                             Stage Presence Lab
12:30-14:00        Lunch
14:00-15:15        Session II Fortissima
                             Forgotten Women composers 
                             and their legacy for Music today
                             Raphaela Gromes, 
                             Žibuoklė Martinaitytė
15:15-15:45        Coffee break
15:45-17:00        Session III  Beyond the Crowd- 
                             New Live Audiences
                             Ethical data, community co creation, 
                              and story driven access 
                             for schools, families, and 
                             new communities
                             Artur Szklener, Sharon Lu, 
                             Andrew Watts
            
17:30-18:30        Reception at Philharmonija
19:00                   Concert at Philharmonija “Serenades” 
                             Ian Bostridge   
                             Lithuanian Chamber Orchestra/ 
                             Sergei Krylov

Vilnius Town Hall- the conference venue

Thursday, 18 June 2026
International Forum Day III – GA Opening
 

09:00                   Registration
09:30-10:45        Session IV- Reinventing the stage: 
                             New Performance Formats
                             Story-led, site-specific 
                              and hybrid formats 
                             that expand artistic impact
                             Andreas Vierziger, Gediminas Gelgotas
10:45-11:15        Coffee Break 
11:15-12:00        Presentation: Creative Projects
                             From Concept to Stage: 
                             a pitching session

12:00-13:30        Lunch

13:30-14:15        Showcase & Artist Talk
                             Crafting a narrative: creative process 
                              and audience connection
14:15-14:45        Coffee Break
14:45-16:00        Session V Artists and the 
                             Digital Community
                             Building a Sustainable Online Presence
                             Pierre-Alain Giraud, Victoria Tafferner, 
                             Jacques Marquis    

*****    

17:00-18:00        Bus transfer (1 hour)
18:00-18:30        Boat Trakai- Užutrakis
19:00-20:00        General Assembly Opening Concert
                             Užutrakis Manor (Europos salė)
                             Svetlin Roussev, Violin
                             Yeol-Eum Son, Piano

20:30                  General Assembly Opening Dinner 
                            (at Užutrakis Manor)

Užutrakis Manor

Svetlin Roussev and Yeol-Eum Son

Friday, 19 June 2026
General Assembly 


09:00                   Registration
09:30-11:00        Business Meeting I
11:00-11:30        Coffee Break
11:30-12:30        Panel 1: Scoring Systems
                             Fairness, Transparency 
                             and the Future of Music Evaluation

12:30-14:00        Lunch


14:00-15:15        Panel 2: Scaling Discovery
                             Preliminary Rounds: 
                             online or around the world?
15:15-16:00        Family Photo & Coffee
16:00-17:00        Showcase and Artist Talk: 
                             Muza Rubackyte
                            The legacy of M.K. Čiurlionis

17:00-18:00        Presentations 
                             Creative Music Industries in Lithuania
18:00                   Networking Reception

Pianist Mūza Rubackytė

Saturday, 20 June 2026
General Assembly
 

09:00                   Coffee & Networking
09:30-10:30        Panel 3: Social Media vs. 
                            Artistic Integrity: 
                             Finding Balance — 
                             practical boundaries and 
                             amplification strategies
10:30-11:00        Coffee Break
11:00-12:30        Business Meeting II

12:30-14:00        Lunch

14:00                   Departure for Kaunas
15: 30-17:30       Visit to the M.K. Čiurlionis 
                             Museum of Art
                             including VR experience 
                             “Trail of Angels”
                             Free time in Kaunas
19:30                   Farewell Dinner / Monte Pacis

 

Sunday, 21 June 2026
Optional Excursion/ Return
 

10:00-11:30        (optional) Walk through the old town
                             Visit to Opera House and Congress Concert Hall

                             Return Home
 

 

 

REGISTRATION:    INVITATIONS FOR MEMBERS WILL BE SENT ON 11 MARCH

REGISTRATION FOR ARTISTS, VISITORS AND GUESTS: AVAILABLE ON THIS WEBSITE ON 18 MARCH

 

Recordings: All Sessions will be recorded, and videos will be available on the WFIMC website after the conference.
Livestream: The Business Meetings I and II will be live-streamed for all WFIMC members. Access links available upon registration.

©WFIMC 2026/ FR