Date/Time
Date(s) - August 26, 2027 - August 29, 2027
12:00 am
Location
Royal Birmingham Conservatoire, 200 Jennens Rd, B4 7XR
EPTA International Conference 2027 – Innovation and New Insights
Innovation and New Insights | 26–29 August 2027 | Birmingham, UK
Welcome
EPTA UK warmly welcomes delegates from around the world, whatever their teaching experience. Whether you are an experienced educator, performer or researcher, or are just beginning your professional journey, the conference will provide opportunities to learn, share ideas, make connections and be inspired by colleagues from across the international piano community.
Our Student and Young Professional Committee will be offering a particularly warm welcome to students and aspiring teachers, new teachers and first-time attendees.
The Venue
Located in the centre of the UK, Birmingham is an ideal destination for an international conference. As the UK’s second-largest city, it offers excellent transport connections, with direct rail services across the country and convenient access via Birmingham Airport, making it easy for delegates travelling from both the UK and overseas.
The conference will be hosted at the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire (RBC), whose world-class performance and teaching facilities provide an inspiring environment for learning, discussion, collaboration and creativity. RBC is home to two major concert halls and Birmingham’s premier jazz venue. In addition to four Steinway Ds, a Bechstein and a Yamaha CFX Concert Grand, it also houses a unique collection of nineteenth-century period pianos.
While you’re here, we’ve put together a list of some of the best things to do and places to visit in Birmingham. Please see the document below for inspiration and ideas to help you make the most of your trip and plan visits around the conference.
Click here: Discover Birmingham – Your Travel Guide
Accommodation
A range of accommodation options will be available close to the conference venue, including:
- Aston Conference Hotel
- The Clayton Hotel
- Student accommodation at Birmingham City University
Further details and booking links will be provided shortly.
Call for Proposals
Call Opens: 1st September 2026
Submission Deadline: 29th January 2027
About the Conference
With an emphasis on Innovation and New Insights, EPTA 2027 International Piano Conference seeks proposal submissions from practitioners and performers, arts leaders and advocates, professors and administrators, and new professionals and students.
Conference Themes
We particularly welcome proposals exploring:
Theme 1: The Future of Music and Piano Teaching
- Positive uses of AI and digital resources
- The changing needs and expectations of piano students
- The future of piano music publishing
- New approaches to learning and teaching in a changing world
Theme 2: Innovation in piano teaching and research
- Innovative programming and new repertoire
- New insights into performance practice
- Emerging pedagogical research
- Creative approaches to teaching, learning and assessment
- New business models for the teaching studio
Theme 3: Equality, diversity and access in piano education
- Broadening access to piano education
- Breaking down barriers and engaging with local communities
- Creating new performance and participation opportunities
- Supporting diverse learners and inclusive teaching practices
Presentation Formats
We invite proposals for the following formats:
- Spoken Paper: 20-25 minutes
- Lecture-Recital: 20–25 minutes
- Workshop-Demonstration: 30-35 minutes
- Symposium (3-6 participants): 30-35 minutes
- Lightning Talk: 5 minutes
- Poster Session: details to follow
Presidents’ Gala Concert
EPTA Presidents are invited to propose one piece for performance as part of the Presidents’ Gala Concert. Performances should be no longer than six minutes.
Guidelines
- Proposal limitations: an individual may be the primary submitter on a maximum of two proposals, and an individual may participate in a maximum of four proposals.
- Blind-review process: the proposal title, abstract, and description must be free from personal identifiers. Identifiers include presenter name(s), affiliation(s), exact location, and endorsements.
- Prior to proposal submission, proposers must communicate with all co-presenters regarding their interest and availability.
- Proposers must submit their own work and may not submit proposals on behalf of their students or others.
- Presenters are asked to submit Presentations to The Piano Conference Proceedings in advance of the conference. Guidelines will be provided.
- Sessions that are commercial in nature are not eligible for review.
- Only electronic submissions through the linked portal will be accepted.
- Presentations that have already been given at previous EPTA conferences will not be accepted
Submit Your Proposal
49th International EPTA Conference, August 26-29, 2027 Birmingham: Call for Proposals – Fill in form
NB: Since EPTA UK plans to hold parallel sessions sparingly, we may have to decline some proposals due to time restrictions.
All proposals will be assessed ‘anonymously’. Please do not include any identifying information (name, institution or other affiliation) in your title or abstract. As we anticipate a large number of proposals, we regret that we may not be able to accept all proposals.
EPTA UK will offer a webinar on ‘How to Prepare an Abstract’ on Sunday October 4th 3pm. Register for the webinar here: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/9Ms-uaU7RpGHn4z3udGKuw
Key Dates
| Date | Activity |
|---|---|
| 1 September 2026 | Call for Proposals opens |
| 29 January 2027 | Submission deadline |
| 16 March 2027 | Acceptance notifications |
| 1 May 2027 | Announcement of conference programme |
We Look Forward to Your Submission.
