Below you find information on

  • the Society
  • International Congresses and Symposia
  • a list of the actual directorium members
  • editors of Acta Musicologica
  • past presidents
  • honorary members
  • the four international musicological bibliographies RISM, RILM, RIPM and RIdIM
  • the IMS statutes
  • the rules for IMS Study Groups.

    The International Musicological Society

    The International Musicological Society (IMS) was founded in 1927 in Basel, where it has its headquarters. It is a member of the Conseil International de la Philosophie et des Sciences Humaines (CIPSH), a branch organization of the UNESCO. Its purpose is the ad­vance­ment of musicological research on the basis of international cooperation. Membership in IMS is open to all interested in musicological research, individuals as well as institutions, libraries and organisations.

    Member Benefits

    Members receive the Society's official publication Acta Musicologica (ISSN 0001-6241, twice a year), editor Philippe Vendrix, Centre d'Etudes Supérieures de la Renaissance, Tours, France,  and the IMS Communiqué, issued by the Secretariat, which keeps the membership informed of internal affairs.

    International Congress and International Symposia of Musicology

    Every fifth year, during an International Congress of Musicology, the members meet at a General Assembly and elect the Directorium, which rules the affairs of the Society until the next General Assembly. Between the quinquennial congresses International Symposia bring together smaller groups of scholars for special subjects under the auspices of IMS.

    Directorium 2007-2012

    President: Tilman Seebass (A) Tilman.Seebass@uibk.ac.at
    Vice-Presidents: Malena Kuss (USA) 2304kuss@charter.net
    and Catherine Massip (FR) catherine.massip@bnf.fr 
    Secretary General: Dorothea Baumann (CH) dorothea.baumann@ims-online.ch
    Treasurer: Madeleine Regli (CH) madeleine.regli@ims-online.ch
    Last President: David Fallows (GB) david.fallows@man.ac.uk
    Directors-at-large:
    Manuel Carlos De Brito (PT), László Dobszay (HU), Dinko Fabris (IT),Philip Gossett (USA), Barbara Haggh Huglo (USA), Ryuichi Higuchi (JP), Ulrich Konrad (DE), Malena Kuss (Latin America). Rudolf Rasch (NL), Julian Rushton (GB), Herbert Schneider (DE), Álvaro Torrente (ES), Henri Vanhulst (BE), Michael Walter (AT), Chris Walton (ZA), Joseph Willimann (CH)

    Editors of Acta Musicologica

    Philippe Vendrix, CESR, B.P. 11328, FR-37013 Tours Cedex (France) vendrix@univ-tours.fr
    Alexander Rehding, Dpt. of Music, Harvard university, Cambridge MA, 02138 USA arehding@fas.harvard.edu

    Past Presidents

    Peter Wagner (1927-1931), Edward J. Dent (1931-1949), Knud Jeppesen (1949-1952), Albert Smijers (1952-1955), Paul Henry Lang (1955 -1958), Friedrich Blume (1958-1961), Donald J. Grout (1961-1964), Vladimir Fédorov (1964-1967), Kurt von Fischer (1967-1972), Eduard Reeser (1972-1977), Ludwig Finscher (1977-1982), Ivan Supicic (1982-1987), Christoph-Hellmut Mahling (1987-1992), Stanley Sadie (1992-1997), László Somfai (1997-2002). 

                               

    Honorary Members

    Henry Prunières 1927, Guido Adler 1927 (Honorary President), Alfred Cortot 1928, Wilhelm Merian 1948, Edward Dent 1949 (Honorary President), Charles van den Borren 1956, Higini Anglès 1958, Anthony van Hoboken 1962, Armen Carapetyan 1971, Ernst Mohr 1972, Friedrich Blume 1973, Eduard Resser 1982, Hellmut Federhofer 1987, Kurt von Fischer 1987, Paul Henry Lang 1987, Nino Pirrotta 1987, Ludwig Finscher 1992, Rudolf Häusler 1992, Michel Huglo 2007, Robert M. Stevenson 2007, Pierluigi Petrobelli 2009.

    Musicological Bibliographies

    IMS, in collaboration with the International Association of Music Libraries, is publishing the following long term bibliographies:
    RISM - Répertoire International de Sources Musicales,     http://rism.stub.uni-frankfurt.de
    RILM - Répertoire International de Littérature Musicale, http://www.rilm.org
    RIPM - Répertoire International de la Presse Musicale, http://www.ripm.org
    RIdIM - Répertoire International d'Iconographie Musicale, http://www.ridim.org

    IMS Statutes

     

    I. Name and Domicile

    The Society is named (names in alphabetical order)

    INTERNATIONAL MUSICOLOGICAL SOCIETY, Internationale Gesellschaft für Musikwissenschaft, Sociedad Internacional de Musicología, Società Internazionale di Musicologia, Société Internationale de Musicologie.

    It is domiciled in Basel (Switzerland).

     

    II. Purpose

    The principal object of the Society is to further musicological research with all the means at its disposal.

    The Society will endeavour to organize, assist, or initiate all scholarly enterprises in the field of music, particularly those where international co-operation is essential.

    The Society will use its best efforts to facilitate relations between research workers, societies, and musicological institutes of all countries.

     

    III. Members

    Membership may be acquired by all societies, institutes, libraries, and individuals interested in musicological research.

    Persons who have made exceptional contributions to international musicology may be proposed by the Directorium for election by the General Assembly as Honorary Members. Honorary Members shall have all rights and privileges of regular members but shall not pay dues.

     

    IV. Subscription

    The annual subscription for members shall be fixed by the General Assembly acting on proposals submitted by the Bureau. Subscriptions for individuals, institutes, and libraries may be fixed at different rates. Under no circumstances shall members be made responsible for commitments toward third parties undertaken by the Society.

    The Directorium is empowered to increase the annual subscription once during the Directorium's five-year term if such action should become necessary in order to meet rising costs. Such an increase must have the subsequent approval of the next following General Assembly.

    From now on the Swiss Franc shall be the obligatory currency for all financial transactions and accounting procedures of the Society.

     

    V. Administrative Bodies

    The administrative bodies of the Society are the General Assembly, the Directorium and the Bureau.

    1. The General Assembly consists of all the members of the Society. It exercises supreme control over all activities of the Society. Directorium and Bureau are responsible to it. The General Assembly controls the financial transactions of the Bureau, elects the auditors and decides upon the liquidation of the Society. The General Assembly takes place every fifth year, preferably in connection with an International Musicological Congress. As a rule, an International Symposium takes place between Congresses.

    2. The Directorium, on which no country can be represented by more than three members, consists of at least twelve members. The Directorium is composed of:

    a) those members elected from candidates proposed by the various countries. Every country with 30 duly enrolled members in the Society has a right to one seat in the Directorium; those with 100 or more members have a right to two seats. Decisive for the eligibility of a member as a representative of a certain country is domicile, not nationality;

    b) six members elected from a list of candidates proposed by the Directorium, at least three of them from countries not yet represented;

    c) the former Presidents of the Society. They belong to the Directorium without voting rights, except for the last President who retains voting rights for five years. The former Presidents will not be reckoned as part of the quota of their countries;

    d) the Secretary General, who must be a Swiss member, but will not be counted as part of the Swiss quota.

    The term of office for members of the Directorium shall be five years. If a member of the Directorium dies or resigns during his term of office, his place shall be filled for the remainder of the term by the person who at the last election received the second highest number of votes. A member of the Directorium on expiration of his term of office may be re-elected, but - except for the Secretary General - for only one more term.

    The President, the two Vice-Presidents and the President-Elect of the Society shall be elected by the Directorium itself from among its members; the President-Elect shall be appointed by vote of the Directorium at least one year before the next ordinary General Assembly. If the President-elect is in his or her second term of office, he or she can serve a third term; if the President-elect was a country nominee, he or she will not be counted to the quota of this country.  The President cannot hold office for more than five consecutive years. The Directorium also appoints the Treasurer, who must be a Swiss member and who attends the meetings in an advisory capacity. The Directorium decides on matters of a general nature and determines the activities of the Society until the next General Assembly.

    3. The President, the two Vice-Presidents, the President-Elect, the Last-President, the Secretary General and the Treasurer make up the Bureau, which transacts current business. If the Directorium considers it necessary, it may draw up regulations defining the respective duties of Directorium and Bureau.

     

    VI. Commissions and Study Groups

    At the suggestion of the Bureau and the Directorium the General Assembly can appoint international commissions or study groups with permanent or temporary tasks. They may consist of members of the Society or also be recruited from other learned societies. They are responsible for their activities to the Directorium. Each of these commissions or study groups shall elect a committee and establish its own scheme of work.

     

    VII. The Budget

    The funds of the Society are made up of annual subscriptions, subsidies, donations, legacies, and other income, if any.

    Two auditors, who need not be members, are appointed by the General Assembly for a period of five years. They will check the accounts of the Society and report to the General Assembly.

    VIII. Modifications of Statutes or Internal Regulations

    Motions to change the Statutes of the Society or the Internal Regulations can only be presented by the Bureau, the Directorium or a group of not less than ten per cent of the members. Such motions must be communicated in writing to the President of the Society at least six months before the next General Assembly, and at least three months before the same Meeting, they must be brought to the notice of all members of the Society. A majority of two-thirds of those present at the Meeting shall be necessary for the acceptance of such proposals of modification.

     

    IX. Dissolution

    Dissolution of the Society can only be demanded by the Directorium or at least half of the members of the Society. Motions to dissolve the Society must be submitted in writing to the President of the Society at least six months before the next General Assembly and brought to the notice of all members of the Society at least three months before the same Meeting. A majority of two-thirds of all members shall be necessary to pass a resolution to dissolve the Society. If the Society is dissolved, its fixed and movable assets shall be handed over to another international institution named by the General Assembly deciding upon the dissolution.

     

    X. Regulations

    Details of the application of these Statutes are laid down in the Internal Regulations.

    These Statutes were adopted by the General Assembly of 13 July 2007 at Zurich.

     

    INTERNAL REGULATIONS

    I. Members

    1. All members of the Society are entitled to attend the General Assembly; each member has one vote. Voting by proxy is admissible if the proxy presents a signed authorization empowering him to act. The members have the right to be informed at all times of the activities of the Society; they receive the periodical publications of the Society free of charge.

    2. Application for membership shall be made in writing to the Bureau. The Bureau may accept or reject such applications. In case of rejection the Bureau are under no obligation to justify their decision to the applicant. A rejected candidate may appeal to the Directorium.

    3. A member may resign from the Society by communicating his decision to the Secretary General in writing. The Directorium may exclude a member from the Society on grave personal grounds, but only on an unanimous vote. A member thus excluded has the right of appeal to the General Assembly.

    4. The Bureau will inform the members regularly of all advantages which the Society has been able to procure for them.

    II. General Assembly

    1. The place of the next General Assembly will be proposed by the previous General Assembly. Its exact date and location will be determined by the Bureau together with the Directorium. Date and place will then be communicated to all members at least seven months before the next General Assembly.

    2. An extraordinary General Assembly may be called by the President at the request of at least half the members of the Society.

    3. The decisions of the General Assembly shall in all cases be final provided the Meeting has been properly convened.

    4. Should it prove impossible to call a Meeting at the proposed date, Directorium and Bureau will continue to officiate until the next General Assembly.

     

    III. Election of Members of the Directorium

    1. The members of the Directorium of the Society are elected by letter.

    2. Voting is secret and a simple majority of votes decides.

    3. The election is divided into two phases:

    a) At least five months before the date of the General Assembly the Bureau sends to the members of each country which according to the Statutes is entitled to be represented in the Directorium the complete list of members of that country and requests them to nominate within six weeks twice as many candidates as the country is entitled to elect. On the basis of these nominations the Bureau establishes for each country the names of the two or four candidates who have obtained a majority of votes. These names are put on a short list. Two further proposals are added by the Bureau, one for the election of the Secretary General, the other for the election of those candidates which are elected by the Bureau in accordance with rule V, 2. b. of the Statutes. The proposals of the Bureau must have been approved by the Directorium.

    b) This complete list of candidates must be sent together with a voting-paper to all members of the Society. It must be returned to the Bureau, within a fortnight of receipt, in a sealed anonymous envelope which in turn must be put into another envelope bearing the name of the sender. Candidates not on the short list are ineligible and any such name will be ignored at the election. The opening of the envelopes containing the voting papers and the counting of the votes will be carried out at the seat of the Society in the presence of two officials who will be designated by the Directorium. Only members of the Society who have paid their annual subscription will be allowed to vote. Each member has only one vote.

     

    IV. Subscription

    Subscriptions are due before the 31st March of each year. Members cease automatically to belong to the Society if they fail to pay their subscription for one full calendar year, provided that they have been reminded of the arrears at least three months before the date of their exclusion, and provided also that membership is automatically resumed when the arrears of subscription are paid.

     

    V. Directorium

    The Directorium shall meet at least once every five years. However, the President may at any time call an extraordinary meeting. At the request of a majority of the members the President shall be obliged to call a meeting of the Directorium. All members of the Directorium are eligible for re-election, but the President cannot hold office for more than five consecutive years.

     

    VI. The Bureau

    The Bureau shall meet at least once every year.

    The President represents the Society in all its relations with all public bodies or national and international institutes. He is responsible for the expenditure of the Society, and is empowered to sign, with the Treasurer, checks and other documents pertaining to the finances of the Society. He shall be entitled to delegate his function to the Secretary General or to another member of the Directorium. The President takes the chair at the General Assembly and in Meetings of the Directorium.

    The Secretary General deals with the administrative affairs of the Society, signs correspondence, appoints office staff and represents the Society in the absence of the President or when otherwise required to do so.

    The Treasurer administers the finances of the Society. He shall be entitled to make payments only on the written authority of the Secretary General. The Treasurer shall keep records of all incoming and outgoing payments and shall draw up a balance-sheet. He shall report to the General Assembly on the finances of the Society.

    As and when required to do so by the Directorium, the Treasurer shall produce records of all financial operations of the Society.

    With the exception of the President, all Bureau members are eligible for re-election.

     

    VII. Languages

    The official languages of the Society are, in alphabetical order: English, French, German, Italian and Spanish.

     

    VIII. Publications

    The Society has two official periodical publications, namely: ACTA MUSICOLOGICA and COMMUNIQUES.

    ACTA MUSICOLOGICA is an international musicological periodical. Its main purpose is to inform members of the Society of the progress of musicological research. As far as possible it will present an accurate record of the varying currents and methods prevailing in different countries.

    ACTA MUSICOLOGICA will be produced by a responsible editor and an editorial committee. The editor and the editorial committee will be appointed by the Directorium.

    Papers and communications published in ACTA MUSICOLOGICA may be in any of the five languages officially recognized by the Society (see § VII of the Internal Regulations).

    The COMMUNIQUES are designed to serve as organs of communication and information between the Bureau and the members of the Society.

  • The Rules for IMS Study Groups

    The IMS Statutes, section VI, read: Commissions and Study Groups (Kommissionen und Arbeitgruppen / Commisions et groupes internationaux de travail): at the suggestion of Bureau and Directorium, the General Assembly can appoint international Commission or Study Groups with permanent or temporary tasks. They may consist of members of the Society or also be in association with other learned societies. They are responsible for their activities to the Directorium Each of these commission or study groups shall elect a committee to establish its own scheme or work.

         1. Definition
  •   a) Study Groups are associations of scholars who are IMS members and share an interest in a  particular theme or field. Study Groups should be international in scope.

    b) The name of the Study Group should be reflected in the activities of the Study Group.

     

    2. Organization

    a) Study Groups shall manage their own internal affairs and elect a chair.

    b) The chair of a Study Group functions as liaison officer to the Directorium of the IMS.

     

    3. Installation

    To be recognized as a Study Group of the IMS, the members of the group organize an international meeting and submit a report of the meeting together with a mission statement and a request for official recognition. As soon as the Directorium has approved the request, the Study Group is officially installed. News of the approval, together with the report of the meeting, will appear in the next IMS Communiqué.

     

          4. Activities

    a)    Meetings are the main vehicle of scholarly communication among members of a Study Group. Such meetings should take place no less often than every two years. A Study Group is free to invite scholars who are not members of the IMS to one meeting. If they continue to have an interest in the activities of the Study Group they should normally become members of the IMS. The chair of the Study Group sends a list of guest participants to the Secretary General of the IMS.
    In the case of Study Groups that are assembled jointly by the IMS and another scholarly association, delegates at the meetings may be members of either association.

    b)      Reports. After each meeting the Study Group submits a report to the Secretary General of the IMS, to be published in the IMS Communiqué.

     

    5. Dissolution

    The IMS Directorium will regularly reconsider the status of all Study Groups, particularly those that have not submitted a report for two years.

     

    Study Groups of IMS: New Constitution, October 2004

     


    		•