We are excited to announce the ninth edition of the Lisbon Conference: Chinese Music and Musical Instruments, which will be held from 5 to 8 May 2026 in Lisbon and Mafra. This prestigious event will bring together scholars, musicians, and enthusiasts of Chinese music to explore the rich cultural heritage and the evolving traditions of Chinese musical instruments.
This event is organized by The Institute of Ethnomusicology, Centre for Studies in Music and Dance, Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities, NOVA University Lisbon (INET-md); the European Foundation for Chinese Music Research (CHIME); the Confucius Institutes of the Universities of Aveiro and Minho, and the Municipality of Mafra, jointly with other public and private Portuguese institutions. The Jorge Álvares Foundation is the main sponsor of this project.
Alongside academic presentations, there will also be a series of cultural initiatives with concerts and recitals, that we highlight the Gamelan NOVA Lisboa, the Gamelan Group of the Department of Musical Sciences of NOVA FCSH; renowned Chinese and western musicians such as Deng Haiqiong (guzheng), and Jacob ALFORD (guqin); as well as others who will perform musical genres from other parts of Asia. There will also be a multimedia exhibition called “Encre de Chine – Impressions de Voyage: A Visual Chronicle based on Paintings and Photographs by Christophe Deschamps: China, 1986,” with works by Christophe Deschamps.
This conference is made possible thanks to the sponsorship of the Jorge Álvares Foundation, whose long-standing commitment to promoting Chinese music in Portugal has been instrumental since the event was first established in 2016.
This event is partially supported by FCT – Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia, I.P. by project INET-md Institute of Ethnomusicology – Centre for Studies in Music and Dance, reference UID/00472/2025, DOI: 10.54499/UID/00472/2025..