From October 26 to 29, 2026, the Institute of Music at the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Valparaíso, in Viña del Mar, will host the XIII Chilean Congress of Musicology. The event is co-organized with the Universidad de Playa Ancha and is supported by the Millennium Nuclei CMUS and ANIMUPA, as well as two FONDECYT projects, which have made much of its realization possible. Javier Rodríguez, president of the Chilean Society of Musicology and associate researcher at CMUS, explains the meaning of this biennial gathering:

“Every two years, the Chilean Society of Musicology brings together those who study music and sound in Chile and Latin America for a meeting that is both a review and an opening. It is a review because it allows us to share the different lines of research and objects of study. It is an opening because it creates a space to get to know one another, share experiences, and generate synergies that often extend beyond the congress itself.

This edition has a particular significance: the Chilean Society of Musicology is turning twenty-five. That is long enough to have accumulated ‘routes’ (questions, archives, methods, journals, intellectual friendships) and also to ask ourselves about the new horizons opening up today. Hence the theme that brings us together: Ancient Routes and New Horizons in Musical Research.”

Meet the presentations by CMUS researchers

Ten members of the Millennium Nucleus will take part in the Congress, including directors, principal researchers, associate researchers, and thesis students. Below, we introduce them in chronological order, starting on Monday, October 26.

Elisa Montesinos (CMUS thesis student) will give the paper “Voces que resuenan: escucha situada, archivo vocal y producción de memoria en Villa San Luis” in the first panel of the event, titled “Reactivación del patrimonio sonoro y memoria: prácticas de cultura viva,” starting at 9:30 a.m. Later, Christian Spencer, director of CMUS, will present “Investigación artística en Chile: miradas desde la musicología” in the panel “Crítica, práctica y musicología,” between 2:30 and 4:00 p.m. The session will be moderated by Valeska Cabrera, who later, between 4:30 and 6:00 p.m., will present “Explorando la magnitud de la actividad coral en Chile: confección del instrumento, análisis y resultados” in the panel “Interdisciplinariedad e innovación metodológica en los estudios de música clásica y coros en Chile.”

On Tuesday, October 27, it will be the turn of Laura Jordán (principal researcher at CMUS) and Javier Rodríguez (associate researcher at CMUS), who will jointly present the paper “Canciones (grabadas por / para) con mi viejo” between 2:30 and 4:00 p.m. Afterwards, Javiera Montecinos (CMUS thesis student) will present “Escuchar sin saber orar: auralidad y etnografía en las vigilias de Canto a lo Divino en Chile central” in the panel “Trayectorias de la canción,” between 4:30 and 6:00 p.m.

On Wednesday, October 28, the first panel, titled “Música en cifras: análisis cuantitativo para el estudio de brechas de género, mercados y redes de colaboración,” will bring together Daniel Party (principal researcher at CMUS), with the paper “La brecha inaudible: Desigualdad de género en el consumo de música vía streaming en Chile (2017-2025),” and Sebastián Muñoz (associate researcher at CMUS), with “Redes, categorías y colaboración: la emergencia y consolidación de la Música Urbana chilena.” Later, Javiera Muñoz (CMUS thesis student) will present “El retorno como archivo y memoria: trayectorias artísticas de Mercedes Sosa e Isabel Parra en la década de 1980” in the thematic panel “Circulaciones musicales en el Cono Sur: redes, repertorios y actores (siglo XX y XXI).”

Finally, on Thursday, October 29, Carla Pinochet, alternate director of CMUS, will present “Ciudad vertical. Convivencia sonora y disputas aurales en Estación Central” in the panel “Auralidades de la precariedad: ruido, afecto y vida urbana en Santiago,” at 9:30 a.m.

Keynote lectures

The keynote lectures will be given by three leading figures in music research from Spain, Uruguay, and Argentina. The first, “Música popular, feminismos y disidencias. Apuntes desde la orilla,” will be delivered by Sílvia Martínez (Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Spain) and moderated by Laura Jordán, principal researcher at CMUS and faculty member at the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Valparaíso. It will take place on Monday, October 26, at 11:45 a.m. in the Sala Margot Loyola, following the opening remarks of the Congress.

The next day, it will be the turn of Marita Fornaro (Universidad de la República, Uruguay), who will speak about “Rituales de encuentro y resistencia: las relaciones entre músicos chilenos y uruguayos en las décadas de 1960 y 1970.” Moderated by Javier Rodríguez, the lecture will take place on Tuesday, October 27, at 11:30 a.m., also in the Sala Margot Loyola.

Lastly, Miguel Ángel García (Universidad de Buenos Aires · CONICET, Argentina) will present “Actores, lógicas y poderes de la circulación del sonido en el entorno digital-virtual” on Thursday, October 29, at 11:30 a.m., in the same room. The moderator will be Daniel Domingo, executive coordinator of CMUS and treasurer of the Chilean Society of Musicology.

View and download the full program on the Chilean Society of Musicology’s official website.