2026 Southern Chapter Conference

Courtyard Birmingham Homewood

500 Shades Creek Parkway
Homewood, AL 35209

(Located 0.8 miles from Samford University)

Phone: 205-879-0400

Rate: $149/night (Book room by Friday, February 6, 2026, to secure rate.)

Secure Your Reservation

Aloft Birmingham Soho Square

1903 29th Avenue South
Homewood, AL 35209

(Located 1.1 miles from Samford University)

Phone: 205-874-8055

Rate: $149/night (Book room by Wednesday, February 11, 2026, to secure rate.)

Secure Your Reservation

Submission Deadline: 11:59 PM Mountain Time on Monday, September 29, 2025

The Southern Chapter of The College Music Society will hold its 47th Conference February 26-28, 2026, at Samford University in Birmingham, AL.

The Program Committee of The College Music Society welcomes proposals for lecture-recitals and performances. The Committee solicits the broadest representation of our profession and its interests, and welcomes proposals from students, faculty, retirees, and independent musicians from all educational and professional settings.

The Program Committee particularly encourages proposals that relate to the current CMS Common Topic of “Grow, Create, Lead.”

CONSIDERATIONS

• Performances are intended to present live music, and speaking is generally limited to brief introductory comments. While these can feature new music, this is not the appropriate submission venue for works by CMS composers. Two types of performances are possible:
  1. Stand-alone Performance: A 25-minute program from a single performer or ensemble may be proposed that features music by one or more composers. The time limit is inclusive of set-up and tear-down.
  2. Showcase Performance: Brief performances of 10 minutes or less may be proposed which will be included on a larger concert organized by the Program Committee. The time limit is inclusive of set-up and tear-down.
• Lecture-recitals are limited to 25 minutes each, inclusive of delivery, discussion, and/or questions as appropriate. Lecture-recitals differ from performances in that they provide opportunities for performing combined with a significant amount of speaking.
• The same topic may not be submitted as both a lecture-recital and performance.
• Prior to submission, proposers must communicate with all collaborators regarding their interest and availability. This includes collaborative pianists. Proposals not listing all participants will be deemed incomplete and will not be considered.
• All persons whose work is selected for inclusion on the program are expected to register for and attend the full conference. If the proposal is accepted, proposers will be asked to communicate with all participants involved in the presentation to ensure their registration by Monday, December 15, 2025.
• Proposers agree to present on any day of the conference should their proposal be accepted.
• The College Music Society does not fund travel expenses of accepted presenters or performers.
• Proposers must submit their own work and may not submit proposals on behalf of their students or others.

STUDENTS: We highly encourage students to submit lecture-recital and performance proposals!

ELIGIBILITY

• The Primary proposer must be a current member of The College Music Society. Persons interested in submitting a proposal should check their membership status well in advance of the submission deadline. Please note the processing time for membership applications and/or renewals is 1-2 business days.
• It is not necessary for collaborators to be current members at the time of submission; however, if invited to the program, every person involved in the presentation must join CMS and register for the conference.

PROPOSAL SUBMISSION & PARTICIPATION POLICY

• Each member may submit a maximum of 2 proposal(s) in response to this Call.
• Each member may submit a maximum of 3 proposal(s) to all calls for this conference. This year, we are particularly interested in poster presentations that relate to the current CMS Common Topic:  Grow. Create. Lead. Do consider a submission in this format. (See the Call for Oral & Poster Presentations for more details.)
• The maximum number of presentations in which a member may be involved on the conference program is 2. If more than two proposals involving the same member are accepted–regardless of whether the member submitted the proposal or was added another member’s proposal–the individual in question must choose in which two presentations s/he will participate.

PREPARATION OF MATERIALS

• Electronic submissions are required. Proposals sent by mail will not be considered.
• The College Music Society's conference submission process is powered by Submittable. To submit a proposal, please (1) log in to the CMS members-only website using your username and password and then (2) click the ‘Submit’ button at the bottom of this call. You will be directed to Submittable to complete your proposal. If you don't already have a Submittable account, you will be prompted to establish one. (Click here for help using Submittable and to view a list of Frequently Asked Questions.)
• A complete proposal includes:
  1. The proposal’s title and format.
     1. Lecture-recital proposals require an abstract of 250 words or less.
     2. Performance proposals require program notes of 250 words or less, as well as a list of all titles, movements, and composers being proposed, an indication of the instrumentation, and duration of each work. If a proposal includes lengthy pieces which will not be played in their entirety, please clarify within the program notes which sections will be performed.
  2. A list of required equipment and Internet needs (Internet connections are not guaranteed).
  3. A digital recording of the performer(s) to demonstrate proficiency. Preference will be given to submissions that include a recording of the proposer performing the actual work being proposed. Where this is not possible, the submitted example must be of a comparable style, genre, or historical period. Reference recordings of a proposed work(s) by a performer other than the proposer may be submitted, provided the file name reflects this distinction by including the word “Reference.” Most audio file formats are supported within Submittable.
  4. Optional: You may add up to 3 supporting materials to your proposal. These might include printed music examples, photos, statistics, or relevant data. Do not include lengthy documents, dissertations, CVs, resumes, or PowerPoint presentations.
  5. A brief biography of the proposer (not to exceed 250 words).
  6. Name of performing ensemble, if applicable.
  7. Biographies of the performer(s) or ensemble (maximum total text of 250 words). Ensemble biographies may briefly address the achievements of each ensemble member; however, separate biographies of each individual performer are not requested in this case.
  8. Contact details for all collaborators, including an email address, mailing address, and phone number for each person. Pianists must be named in this section. If your presentation includes 3 or more persons, download this spreadsheet, save the file using your name as the file name (e.g., smith_john.xlsx), and complete the requested information for each involved person. You will be required to upload this completed file with your proposal.

Please note: To support the blind review process, the name(s) and/or affiliation(s) of anyone involved in the presentation, including the ensemble, performers, or commissioners (if applicable), should not appear in the title, abstract, or program notes, nor in the file names or body of submitted supplementary materials. Submissions are evaluated anonymously and proposals identifying the proposer or co-presenters will be disqualified. Names and affiliations may appear in the “Collaborators” section of the proposal and in submitted biographies, however, as the review committee will not have access to this information.

• Submissions that do not conform to the above guidelines will not be considered.

TIMELINE

• Proposals must be submitted by 11:59 PM Mountain Time on Monday, September 29, 2025.
• Proposers will be notified by Wednesday, November 12, 2025.
• Participants must register for the conference by Monday, December 15, 2025.

QUESTIONS?

Questions regarding this call should be directed to:
Serena Scibelli ([email protected][email protected])
CMS Southern Chapter Board Member in Performance

Submission Deadline: 11:59 PM Mountain Time on Monday, September 29, 2025

The Southern Chapter of The College Music Society will hold its 47th Conference February 26-28, 2026, at Samford University in Birmingham, AL.

The Program Committee welcomes proposals for demonstrations, discussion forums, panels, scholarly research papers, posters, and workshops relating to all aspects of music creation, performance, scholarship, teaching, learning, career considerations, and other areas of interest to the music professional. The Committee invites the broadest representation from the music profession and its interests, and welcomes proposals from students, faculty, retirees, and independent musicians from all educational and professional settings.

The Program Committee particularly encourages proposals that relate to the current CMS Common Topic of “Grow, Create, Lead.”

This year, we are particularly interested in poster presentations. Do consider a submission in this format. 

CONSIDERATIONS

• Demonstrations enable conference attendees to learn about methods, resources, or tools, and differ from workshops in that they are not interactive. Demonstrations are limited to 25 minutes, including Q&A.
• Discussion Forums create a venue for attendees to interact and discuss specific topics related to the profession. While moderated, most of the information and knowledge sharing is generated by the audience rather than the presenter. Forums are less formal than speaker-led presentations. Forums are typically 55 minutes.
• Panels provide an opportunity to examine a topic in depth. A panel comprises at least two panelists and is facilitated by a moderator. The moderator may either engage panelists with curated questions or may provide initial remarks before inviting each panelist to share their perspective within a pre-established time frame. Panels might conclude with an audience Q&A session, a summation of key points, and acknowledgements. Panels are limited to 55 minutes, including any Q&A or discussion.
• Papers are presentations of research or a significant discovery. These are spoken presentations but may include audio/visual elements. Papers are limited to 25 minutes, including Q&A.
• Posters present an idea or project via a compelling visual display. Time will be scheduled during the conference for poster presenters to interact with attendees regarding their research. This year, we are particularly interested in poster presentations that relate to the current CMS Common Topic:  Grow. Create. Lead. Do consider a submission in this format.
• Workshops enable conference attendees to learn about specific methods, tools, resources, or projects through hands-on interaction and are generally designed to teach something or develop a specific skill, or set of skills, rather than present original research. Workshops are limited to 55 minutes, including Q&A.
• Prior to submission, proposers must communicate with all co-presenters regarding their interest and availability. Proposals not listing all participants will be deemed incomplete and will not be considered.
• All persons whose work is selected for inclusion in the program are expected to register for and attend the full conference. If the proposal is accepted, proposers will be asked to communicate with all participants in the presentation to ensure their registration by the deadline of December 15, 2025. At its discretion, the Program Committee may exempt specific individuals, such as invited speakers or guest panelists who are non-music professionals, from membership and registration fee requirements. It is the responsibility of the individual who submits the proposal to, upon acceptance, make conference planners aware of all non-music professionals involved in their presentation and to request such an exemption.
• Proposers agree to present on any day of the conference should their proposal be accepted.
• The College Music Society does not fund travel expenses of accepted presenters.
• Proposers must submit their own work and may not submit proposals on behalf of their students or others.
• Proposals of a commercial nature that promote products or services will not be considered.

STUDENTS

We highly encourage you to submit paper/panel/workshop/demonstration/poster proposals.

If you are a CMS Southern Chapter student member, and your paper is accepted for the conference, you will have an opportunity to submit your work in advance of the conference in order to be considered for the David C. Kushner Student Paper Award.

ELIGIBILITY

• The Primary proposer must be a current member of The College Music Society. Persons interested in submitting a proposal should check their membership status well in advance of the submission deadline. Please note the processing time for membership applications and/or renewals is 1-2 business days.
• It is not necessary for co-presenters to be current members at the time of submission; however, if invited to the program, every person involved in the presentation must join CMS unless they are granted an exemption from the Program Committee—see above.

PROPOSAL SUBMISSION & PARTICIPATION POLICY

• Each member may submit a maximum of 2 proposal(s) in response to this Call.
• Each member may submit a maximum of 3 proposal(s) to all calls for this conference.
• The maximum number of presentations in which a member may be involved in the conference program is 2. If more than two proposals involving the same member are accepted—regardless of whether the member submitted the proposal or was added to another member’s proposal the individual in question must choose which two presentations to make.

PREPARATION OF MATERIALS

• Electronic submissions are required. Proposals sent by mail will not be considered.
• To support the blind review process, the name(s) or affiliation(s) of anyone involved in the presentation should not appear in the title or abstract, nor in the file names, body, or metadata of submitted supplementary materials, as submissions are evaluated anonymously. (Be aware that YouTube videos created by the participant are not anonymous and therefore should not be included.) Proposals identifying the proposer or co-presenters will be disqualified. Names and affiliations may, however, appear in the “Personnel” section of the proposal and in submitted biographies, as the review committee will not have access to this part of the application.
• The College Music Society's conference submission process is powered by Submittable. To submit a proposal, please (1) log in to the CMS members-only website using your username and password and then (2) click the ‘Submit’ button at the bottom of this call. You will be directed to Submittable to complete your proposal. If you don't already have a Submittable account, you will be prompted to establish one. (Visit this page for help using Submittable and to view a list of Frequently Asked Questions.)
• A complete proposal includes:
  1. The proposal’s title and proposed format (e.g., panel, poster, etc.)
  2. An abstract of not more than 250 words.
  3. You may add up to 3 supporting materials to your proposal (optional). These might include printed musical examples, photos, statistics, or relevant data. Do not include lengthy documents, dissertations, CVs, resumes, or PowerPoint presentations. Neither file names nor uploaded materials should identify the proposer or any collaborators. (Be aware that YouTube videos created by the participant are not anonymous and therefore should not be included.)
  4. A list of required equipment and audio-visual and/or internet needs.
  5. A biography of the proposer and each co-presenter, if applicable (250-word maximum per person).
  6. Contact details for all personnel involved in the presentation, including an email address, mailing address, and phone number for each person, as well as an institutional affiliation, if applicable. If your presentation includes 3 or more persons, download this spreadsheet, save the file using your name as the file name (e.g., smith_john.xlsx), and complete the requested information for each involved person. You will be required to upload this completed file with your proposal.
• When referencing one’s own previously published research, the proposer should refer to such research in the third person to avoid identifying themselves. For example, hypothetical proposal submitter D. Graham should write, “D. Graham’s article, ‘XYZ,’ summarizes pertinent issues,” instead of writing, “My article, ‘XYZ,’ summarizes pertinent issues.” The wording in the first example protects the anonymity of the author, while the second compromises the author’s anonymity by linking the author of the proposal to previously published work by a named author.
• Submissions that do not conform to the above guidelines will not be considered.

TIMELINE

• Proposals must be submitted by 11:59 PM Mountain Time on Monday, September 29, 2025.
• Proposers will be notified by Wednesday, November 12, 2025.
• Participants must register for the conference by Monday, December 15, 2025.

QUESTIONS?

Questions regarding this call should be directed to:

• Alice Clark ([email protected][email protected]) CMS Southern Chapter Board Member in Musicology
• Josef Hanson ([email protected][email protected]) CMS Southern Chapter Board Member in Music Education
• Xieyi (Abby) Zhang ([email protected]) CMS Southern Chapter Board Member in Music Theory 

Call for Performers of new music!

The Southern Chapter of The College Music Society is pleased to announce its Call for Performers for its 2026 Regional Conference February 26-28 in Birmingham, Alabama hosted by Samford University.  

We are soliciting volunteer performers who would like to play new music on the composers’ concerts. 

If you would like to volunteer to perform, please submit your name, instrument, and/or small ensemble combination to me by email at [email protected][email protected] by May 31, 2025.  Additionally, please let me know if you prefer to play solo only, or if you would also be interested in being part of a small chamber music group (duo, trio, or quartet) with other volunteer performers.  

The call for scores will go out in June/July. The Composition Committee will select works from the Call for Scores submissions and will then forward selected works to the performers no later than October 20, 2025. Performers will then have approximately two weeks to accept the works or decline them. 

Please note that CMS and Samford University are unable to provide selected performers with any monetary reward or funding for travel or lodging. We will be more than happy to provide official letters of invitations to volunteer performers who may require them.  

Performers do not need to be members of CMS or register for the conference if they are only attending to perform on the composers’ concerts. However, if they plan to attend other events or sessions, registration is required. 

Thank you for your time and we look forward to seeing you in Alabama!

Kind regards,
Ivan Elezovic, DMA
CMS-SO Music Composition Chair
Email: [email protected][email protected]

Submission Deadline: 11:59 PM Mountain Time on Monday, September 29, 2025

The Southern Chapter of The College Music Society will hold its 47th Conference February 26-28, 2026, at Samford University in Birmingham, AL. 

The Program Committee welcomes submissions of original works to be performed during one or more special concerts during the conference. There is the possibility that one concert will be held in the university planetarium, which would not have a piano available. Pending a sufficient number of feasible submissions to justify the planetarium as venue, composer-provided visuals or planetarium projections will be possible. We encourage compositions that could suit this space, as well as pieces that could be performed in more traditional venues. 

Composers must either perform their own works, provide their own performer(s), or submit pieces for the following volunteer performers/ensembles:

• Piano
• Voice (soprano/baritone/bass)
• Oboe
• Saxophone
• Trombone
• Trumpet
• French Horn
• Clarinet
• Bass Clarinet
• Violin
• Cello
• Trombone/Violin Duo
• Trumpet/Clarinet/Piano Trio
• Trombone Quartet
• A Cappella Choir

If submitting works for the volunteer performers, please limit the instrumentation to solo or small chamber ensembles (up to 3 musicians), apart from the a cappella choir. The Composition Committee will select works from the Call for Scores submissions, and will forward selected works to the performers for their perusal. The performers will review the works and accept or decline to perform them.

The Committee solicits the broadest representation of our profession and its interests and welcomes submissions from all including those (a) in academia (full-time and adjunct faculty, community college faculty, students, and retired faculty), (b) in the music industry, and (c) active as independent musicians and scholars.

CONSIDERATIONS

• Proposed works must be 10 minutes or less in duration.
• Composers who will provide their own performers must communicate with their performers prior to submission, regarding their interest and availability. Proposals which do not list all performers will be deemed incomplete and will not be considered.
• Composers may wish to refer to the online CMS Player’s Roster to locate performers who have volunteered their services for this conference.
• All composers whose work is selected for inclusion on the program are expected to register for, and attend, the entire conference. Performers on this concert, who may or may not be members of CMS, are not expected to register and attend the conference unless they wish to, but their attendance will be limited to the concert and any rehearsals if they do not register.
• Composers must be willing to have their works performed on any day of the conference should their proposal be accepted.
• The College Music Society does not fund travel expenses of accepted presenters or performers.
• Proposers must submit their own work and may not submit proposals on behalf of their students or others.

STUDENTS

We highly encourage students to submit compositions.

If you are a CMS Southern Chapter student member and your composition is accepted, you will have an opportunity to submit your work in advance of the conference in order to be considered for the Dennis Kam Student Composition Award.

ELIGIBILITY

• Composers must be current members of The College Music Society at the time of submission. Persons interested in submitting a proposal should check their membership status well in advance of the submission deadline. Please note the processing time for membership applications and/or renewals is 1-2 business days.

PROPOSAL SUBMISSION & PARTICIPATION POLICY

• Each member may submit a maximum of 2 (two) score(s) to this conference.
• Each member may submit a maximum of 3 proposal(s) to all calls for this conference. This year, we are particularly interested in poster presentations that relate to the current CMS Common Topic:  Grow. Create. Lead. Do consider a submission in this format. (See the Call for Oral & Poster Presentations for more details.)
• The maximum number of presentations in which a member may be involved on the conference program is 2. If more than two proposals involving the same member are accepted—regardless of whether the member submitted the proposal or was added another member’s proposal—the individual in question must choose which two presentations to make.

PREPARATION OF MATERIALS

• Electronic submissions are required. Proposals sent by mail will not be considered.
• The College Music Society's conference submission process is powered by Submittable. To submit a proposal, please (1) log in to the CMS members-only website using your username and password and then (2) click the ‘Submit’ button at the bottom of this call. You will be directed to Submittable to complete your proposal. If you don't already have a Submittable account, you will be prompted to establish one. (Visit this page for help using Submittable and to view a list of Frequently Asked Questions.)
• A complete proposal includes:
  1. The score’s title, instrumentation, and duration, rounding up to the nearest half minute.
  2. A PDF copy of the full score and individual parts (anonymous). The score may be notated at concert pitch or transposed but the composer is asked to make this clear in the score. Multi-movement scores should be merged into a single PDF file, as should all parts.
  3. A digital recording of the work. MIDI file/software-synthesis realizations are acceptable. Most audio file formats are supported within Submittable.
  4. Program notes (not to exceed 250 words).
  5. A list of required equipment (Internet connections are not guaranteed).
  6. A brief biography of the composer (not to exceed 250 words).
  7. Name of performing ensemble, if applicable.
  8. Biography of ensemble or performer(s) (maximum total text of 250 words). Ensemble biographies may briefly address the achievements of each ensemble member; however, separate biographies of each individual performer are not requested in this case.
  9. Contact details for all performers, including an email address, mailing address, and phone number for each person. If your performance includes 3 or more performers, download this spreadsheet, save the file using your name as the file name (e.g., smith_john.xlsx), and complete the requested information for each involved person. You will be required to upload this completed file with your proposal.

Please note:

• The name(s) or affiliation(s) of anyone involved in the presentation should not appear on the score or parts, in program notes, or in the file names of submitted audio samples, as submissions are evaluated anonymously. Proposals identifying the composer or collaborators will be disqualified. Names and affiliations may appear in submitted biographies and in the “Performers” section of the proposal, however, as the review committee will not have access to this part of the application.
• Submissions that do not conform to the above guidelines will not be considered.

TIMELINE

• Proposals must be submitted by 11:59 PM Mountain Time on Monday, September 29, 2025.
• Proposers will be notified by Wednesday, November 12, 2025.
• Participants must register for the conference by Monday, December 15, 2025.

QUESTIONS?

Questions regarding this call should be directed to:

Ivan Elezovic ([email protected][email protected])
CMS Southern Chapter Board Member in Composition