12/08/2025
4th GPRM (Global Piano Roll Meeting) 2026 in Stanford, CfP started...
The 4th Global Piano Roll Meeting (GPRM) will take place at Stanford University, August 7–9, 2026. The program committee invites proposals for individual papers, organized sessions, lecture-recitals, panel discussions, posters, and performances.
This bi-annual meeting, which follows the 3rd meeting held in Sydney, Australia 2024, is an international forum that fosters community and supports inquiry among professionals, students, and enthusiasts working with paper rolls and pneumatic roll-playing instruments. GRPM is an initiative supported by Stanford University, University of Sydney, Faszinationpianola and Hochschule der Künste Bern HKB.
Music rolls and pneumatic instruments are a vital part of the history of recording and mechanical music. They provide a rich window into the technological, musical, cultural and economic history of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Recent projects to preserve rolls by scanning and digitization have sparked wider interest in the field. This work has allowed for technical studies of rolls, which are an early digital record of music making. Archival documents are also yielding insights into the business and technology of roll manufacturing.
The committee looks forward to receiving proposals that build upon and expand these areas of inquiry. Topics may include but are not limited to the historical study of piano and organ rolls, performers, audiences, and repertoires; pneumatic instruments; roll manufacturing; archival preservation and access; roll collections; performance studies; and performance practices.
The conference will be conducted in English. Proposals (including category) must be sent to [email protected] by 11:59pm, October 31, 2025
https://www.hkb-interpretation.ch/global-piano-roll-meeting
https://gprm.net/
