Joensuu, Finland – Board members of the International Society for Orthodox Church Music (ISOCM) recently concluded their Spring 2010 meeting. During the internet-based meeting, a variety of topics related to the Society’s mission were discussed, including initial plans for the 2011 ISOCM conference.

The Rev. Ivan Moody, chair of the ISOCM board said, “The meeting of the Board provided us with an opportunity to discuss matters related to the way in which the society operates, and also to explore ideas and projects we can undertake in the coming months and years.”

Founded in 2005, the ISOCM provides church musicians from around the world with the opportunity to gather for dialogue and share resources related to Orthodox Church music. The Society also hosts a biennial conference. At the conclusion of its meeting, the Board announced that the 4th International Conference on Orthodox Church Music will be held 6-12 June, 2011 at the University of Eastern Finland, in Joensuu, Finland.

“The theme of next year’s conference will be "Unity and Variety in Orthodox Music: Theory and Practice",” said Father Ivan, adding, “There are so many different ways this topic can be approached – it makes all kinds of contributions and presentations possible.”

In addition to setting the date for the next conference, Board members also confirmed the date for the Society’s 2010 Annual Meeting on June 14, 2010 at 2 p.m. at the Philosophical Faculty (former Faculty of Theology building) of the University of Eastern Finland in Joensuu, Finland. The first official call for papers will be announced in September 2010.

The Board also approved authorization to have the Society’s financial accounts managed by a bookkeeping agency in Finland. Other topics reviewed included the annual report of the chairman, financial statements, a plan of action and budget for 2010-2011, and membership fees for the Society.

Effective immediately, ISOCM membership fees for the year 2010-2011 will be is € 50 / $ 70 for those residing in the West, and € 20 / $ 30 for those who have low income, or are students, or live in Eastern Europe.

The Plan of Action reviewed during the meeting will help guide Society projects to be undertaken over the next year. It is expected that the Journal of ISOCM (JISOCM) will be established in June 2010 with an initial call for papers. The Journal will be refereed and published online at www.isocm.com. Guidelines for the authors and referees will be available at the website in the coming weeks, and the preferred language of the JISOCM will be English. Articles in other languages may be published together with an English translation, subject to previous agreement with the editors. The first volume will be published in spring 2011.

As part of the Society’s goal to encourage a spirit of cooperation among individuals and other organizations dedicated to Orthodox Church music, ISOCM will facilitate the sharing of information about events, conferences, etc. on its website. Event information can be submitted to ISOCM secretary-treasurer, Maria Takala-Roszczenko via email: isocm.secretary@gmail.com

“Each year, there are many conferences related to Orthodox Church music which occur all over the world,” said Father Ivan, “ISOCM can serve as the hub to inform people who want to participate in, or read the proceedings which are made available from these events.”

The Proceedings of the ISOCM’s own Third International Conference, Church, State and Nation in Orthodox Church Music (2009) are being prepared for publication and will be made available for purchase on the ISOCM website in the coming months. Already available on the website are the proceedings from the previous ISOCM conferences.

The Society is also considering the possibility of publishing digitized manuscripts on its website, in addition to its current library of resources.

The Board elected at the annual meeting of 2009 will continue to serve until 2013. In addition to Father Ivan Moody and Ms. Takala-Roszczenko, the Board consists of Dn Petri Nykänen, vice-chairman, Ardian Ahmedaja, Yuliya Artamonova, and David Lucs.

For more information about the mission of ISOCM and to become a Society member.