CCRMA’s Symposium on Music and the Brain Explores Listening in the Past: May 22–23
The Center for Computer Research in Music and Acoustics (CCRMA) at Stanford University will host its Symposium on Music and the Brain on May 22–23, 2026. This annual event brings together an international community of researchers, scholars, and artists for two days of interdisciplinary exchange. This year’s theme, “Listening in the Past: Sound, Space, and the Aesthetics of the Sublime,” invites participants to explore how sound has been experienced, interpreted, and understood across time – and how those experiences continue to shape contemporary research in music, cognition, and culture.
Held at The Knoll on Stanford’s campus, the symposium reflects CCRMA’s longstanding mission to bridge artistic practice and scientific inquiry. As one of the leading hubs for music, science, and technology, CCRMA fosters collaborations across fields ranging from composition and performance to neuroscience, engineering, and psychology. The Symposium on Music and the Brain extends this interdisciplinary ethos, offering a platform where emerging research meets creative exploration.
The two-day program will feature a dynamic mix of presentations, performances, and demonstrations. Day one (Friday, May 22) begins in the afternoon with scholarly talks and research presentations, followed by an evening concert showcasing works that engage directly with the symposium’s theme. Day two (Saturday, May 23) continues with a full day of sessions, inviting deeper discussion of topics such as archaeoacoustics, musicology, and music perception and cognition. Together, these sessions illuminate how sound interacts with physical space and human perception both historically and in modern contexts.
While the symposium draws participants from around the world, its impact resonates strongly within the Stanford community. By connecting disciplines across the humanities, sciences, and engineering, the event highlights the university’s commitment to collaborative research and innovative thinking. Music, as both an art form and a scientific phenomenon, offers a unique lens through which to understand human experience – from the neural mechanisms of perception to the cultural meanings embedded in sound.
Beyond campus, the symposium underscores the broader relevance of music and brain research. Studies in this field are increasingly informing areas such as healthcare, technology design, and education, demonstrating how deeply music can influence cognition, emotion, and behavior. By examining sound through historical and aesthetic frameworks, this year’s theme also encourages new perspectives on how we listen and why it matters.
The Stanford Symposium on Music and the Brain is free and open to the public, welcoming anyone interested in the intersections of music, science, and human experience.
For presenter info and more details, visit https://ccrma.stanford.edu/trt/symposia.html.
To RSVP, visit https://www.eventbrite.com/manage/events/1988440863149/details.