Biennial Baroque 2025
The Biennial International Conference on Baroque Music is a key event in the calendar of all those with an interest in this area. It facilitates the sharing of the latest research on and/or relevant to music of the period c. 1600-1750, and provides abundant networking opportunities.
The 2025 iteration of the International Conference on Baroque Music, to be hosted by Royal Birmingham Conservatoire, UK, from Wednesday 16 July to Sunday 20 July 2025, is its twenty-first, and we look forward to welcoming colleagues from across the world, and at all stages of their research careers. In addition to the regular paper sessions, the conference will include concerts, workshops, and – of course – a celebratory banquet.
Outline schedule (provisional)
The conference will run from Wednesday 16 July to Sunday 20 July 2025.
Registration will be open from 13:00 on Wednesday 16 July. There will be a welcome performance activity in which all delegates are invited to participate (details to follow) starting at 16:00, leading into a reception starting around 17:30-18:00.
Thursday 17 July to Saturday 19 July
Each day will comprise the regular schedule of presentations, with concerts/workshops at lunchtime on Thursday and Saturday, and early evening on Thursday and Friday. We are planning a reception for doctoral students and recently graduated doctoral students on Thursday (early evening), and expect to accommodate the business meeting on Saturday. The conference banquet will take place on Saturday evening.
Sunday 20 July
A further morning of papers and a coffee concert. The conference will end at 13:00, and delegates will be able to sign up for an optional lunch before they leave. For those who need to stay in Birmingham until Monday, there is plenty to do and see, and we will be happy to circulate suggestions.
Location
Almost all conference activity will take place at Royal Birmingham Conservatoire (RBC), 200 Jennens Road, Birmingham, UK B4 7XR.
The conference banquet will be held at the Clayton Hotel (7 minutes’ walk from RBC). The venue for the Friday evening concert is the historic St Paul’s Church in Birmingham’s Jewellery Quarter – a 25-minute walk or 10-minute car journey.
Getting here
RBC is easily accessible from Birmingham City Centre: it is a walk of 15-20 minutes from the main station, Birmingham New Street. For directions on foot from New Street station (and from Moor Street station), and on accessing RBC by car from the motorway networks which serve the city, see map and directions.
Birmingham is served by Birmingham International Airport. A free air-rail link connects the airport to Birmingham International Station, from where there are frequent connections to Birmingham New Street station. See Getting to Birmingham Airport by train.
Electronic travel authorisation
If you are travelling to us from outside the UK, please be aware of the new requirement for visitors to be in possession of an ETA; see: Apply for an electronic travel authorisation (ETA) and Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) factsheet.
Staying in Birmingham
We have negotiated conference rates for Bed and Breakfast in the three hotels closest to RBC. Details of promotional codes will be sent to speakers by email and to other delegates on request.
Succession Planning
We are keen that, by the end of the conference in July, we have a host in place for 2027. We will provide space at this year’s business meeting for short presentations from interested institutions, and the assembled 2025 delegates will take a vote. If you plan to bid, it would be useful to know by 1 June 2025. Please send a note to the conference inbox: biennialbaroque2025@bcu.ac.uk