International Council for Traditional Music
Professional services
UnclaimedThe International Council for Traditional Music is a global scholarly non-governmental organization dedicated to the study, practice, documentation, preservation, and dissemination of traditional music and dance.
Last updated August 26, 2026
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Overview
The International Council for Traditional Music (ICTM) is an international scholarly non-governmental organization concerned with traditional music and dance in their cultural, social, historical, and contemporary contexts. It brings together researchers, practitioners, archivists, educators, performers, and cultural organizations whose work addresses musical and dance traditions across the world. Its activities combine academic exchange with documentation, preservation, advocacy, and the transmission of knowledge between communities and generations. The organization was established in London on 22 September 1947 as the International Folk Music Council (IFMC). Its creation reflected post-war efforts to strengthen international cultural exchange and to provide a durable forum for the comparative study of musical traditions. The council later adopted its current name, International Council for Traditional Music, as its scope and terminology developed beyond the narrower idea of folk music. The name change also reflects the organization’s interest in living traditions, historical practices, performed culture, and the relationships between music, dance, identity, migration, politics, and social life. ICTM’s principal international activities include world conferences, study groups, national and regional committees, liaison officers, and scholarly publications. Conferences have been organized since 1948 and are now generally held on a biennial basis. They provide a venue for presentations, panels, workshops, performances, committee meetings, and professional networking. The organization’s study groups focus on particular areas of ethnomusicology, dance research, performance practice, archival work, applied research, and related fields. National and regional structures connect the council with researchers and cultural communities in particular parts of the world. The council publishes the Yearbook for Traditional Music, an annual scholarly publication that began as the Journal of the International Folk Music Council between 1949 and 1958. It also publishes the Bulletin of the ICTM, which appears three times a year and reports on organizational activities, conferences, study groups, publications, and developments within the field. These publications help circulate research and maintain an international record of work on traditional music and dance. ICTM has formal consultative relations with UNESCO and helped establish the UNESCO International Music Council in 1949. Through its UNESCO relationship, international membership, committees, liaison network, and scholarly programs, it presents cultural exchange as a means of building understanding among peoples. The organization’s stated international role is not limited to preserving historical materials: it also supports the recognition of communities as active custodians and creators of musical and dance traditions. The council’s network has included official representation in 129 countries or regions as of January 2019. Its recent world conferences have been hosted in Africa, Asia, Europe, and North America, demonstrating the geographic breadth of its activities. The 2021 world conference was postponed because of the COVID-19 pandemic and eventually held in 2022, while the 47th World Conference took place at the University of Ghana’s Cedi Conference Center from 13 to 19 July 2023. ICTM is therefore best understood as a membership-based international cultural and scholarly institution rather than a consumer-facing commercial brand.
History
The International Council for Traditional Music was founded in London on 22 September 1947 under the name International Folk Music Council. Its formation came during the period immediately following the Second World War, when international cultural and scholarly institutions were being rebuilt and expanded. The council provided a permanent setting for the comparative study of musical traditions and for communication among specialists working in different countries. The organization began holding conferences in 1948. These meetings became a central part of its identity, allowing members to share research, discuss fieldwork and archives, consider changing approaches to performance and transmission, and build connections across national and disciplinary boundaries. The council later moved from an annual or otherwise frequent meeting pattern toward a biennial world-conference model. Its activities expanded beyond academic meetings through study groups, national and regional committees, liaison officers, and publications. From 1949 to 1958, the organization’s principal journal was known as the Journal of the International Folk Music Council. It was subsequently developed into the Yearbook for Traditional Music, which became the council’s annual scholarly publication. The Bulletin of the ICTM, formerly the Bulletin of the IFMC, provides a more regular organizational and professional communication channel and is issued three times each year. In 1949, ICTM helped found the UNESCO International Music Council. It remains a non-governmental organization in formal consultative relations with UNESCO. This relationship has reinforced the council’s international and public-cultural role, particularly its interest in the preservation, documentation, and dissemination of traditional music and dance. Its work treats traditions as living cultural practices rather than solely as historical artifacts, linking scholarly research with the concerns of performers, communities, educators, and cultural institutions. The organization eventually adopted the name International Council for Traditional Music. The revised name reflects a broad field that includes music and dance traditions from all countries, as well as questions of cultural identity, social change, migration, heritage, performance, technology, and institutional representation. The council’s world network is organized through individual Liaison Officers and National and Regional Committees representing organizations. As of January 2019, it was officially represented in 129 countries or regions. ICTM’s world conferences have demonstrated its geographic reach. Meetings in the modern period included Durban in 2009, St. John’s in Newfoundland in 2011, Shanghai in 2013, Astana in 2015, Limerick in 2017, and Bangkok in 2019. The conference scheduled for 2021 was delayed by the COVID-19 pandemic and held in July 2022. The 47th World Conference was held in Ghana from 13 to 19 July 2023 at the University of Ghana’s Cedi Conference Center. Leadership has included prominent scholars and musicians from several countries. Ralph Vaughan Williams served as the first listed president, followed by Jaap Kunst, Zoltán Kodály, Willard Rhodes, Klaus P. Wachsmann, Poul Rovsing Olsen, Erich Stockmann, Anthony Seeger, Krister Malm, Adrienne L. Kaeppler, Salwa El-Shawan Castelo-Branco, and Svanibor Pettan. Maud Karpeles held the position of honorary president from 1963 to 1976. Through successive leadership, publications, conferences, and international representation, ICTM has remained a coordinating institution for scholarship and cultural exchange concerning traditional music and dance.
- 2023
47th World Conference held in Ghana
[1]The 47th ICTM World Conference was held from 13 to 19 July 2023 at the University of Ghana’s Cedi Conference Center in Legon.
- 2022
Postponed World Conference held
[1]The conference originally planned for 2021 was postponed because of the COVID-19 pandemic and held in July 2022.
- 2019
World Conference held in Bangkok
[1]Bangkok, Thailand hosted the World Conference. By January of that year, ICTM was officially represented in 129 countries or regions.
- 2017
World Conference held in Limerick
[1]Limerick, Ireland hosted the ICTM World Conference.
- 2015
World Conference held in Astana
[1]The organization convened its World Conference in Astana, Kazakhstan.
- 2013
World Conference held in Shanghai
[1]Shanghai, China hosted the ICTM World Conference.
- 2011
World Conference held in St. John's
[1]The World Conference took place in St. John’s, Newfoundland.
- 2009
World Conference held in Durban
[1]The ICTM World Conference was held in Durban, South Africa.
- 1959
Publication develops into the Yearbook for Traditional Music
[1]After the 1949–1958 period under its original journal title, the publication continued as the Yearbook for Traditional Music.
- 1949
Participation in founding the UNESCO International Music Council
[1]The council helped establish the UNESCO International Music Council and later maintained formal consultative relations with UNESCO.
Products and positioning
A global, interdisciplinary scholarly network for the research, documentation, preservation, practice, and dissemination of traditional music and dance, with an emphasis on international cooperation and cultural understanding.
Scholarly journal · 1959
Yearbook for Traditional Music
ICTM’s annual scholarly publication presents research concerning traditional music and dance around the world. It developed from the Journal of the International Folk Music Council, which was published under that title from 1949 through 1958. The Yearbook represents the council’s research and dissemination function and supports international circulation of scholarship in ethnomusicology and related disciplines.
Organizational publication
Bulletin of the ICTM
The Bulletin of the ICTM is a recurring publication focused on news and information relevant to the council’s membership and international network. It reports on organizational developments, conferences, study groups, committees, publications, and related professional activity. It was originally known as the Bulletin of the International Folk Music Council.
International scholarly conference · 1948
ICTM World Conference
The World Conference is the council’s principal large-scale meeting. Conferences bring together researchers, performers, educators, archivists, and cultural representatives for presentations, discussion, workshops, performances, and organizational meetings. They have been held since 1948 and are presently organized on a biennial basis in different regions of the world.
Research network
ICTM Study Groups
Study Groups provide specialist forums within the council for sustained discussion of particular areas of traditional music, dance, ethnomusicology, documentation, performance, and applied research. They extend ICTM’s work beyond its main conference and support collaboration among members with shared research interests.
Brand decisions
2021
Postponement of the 2021 World ConferenceOtherBackground
The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted the organization’s planned international conference schedule.
Action taken
ICTM postponed the 2021 World Conference until July 2022.
Aftermath
The conference was subsequently held in 2022, allowing the organization to resume its major international meeting program.
Sources2 sources
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