PopVoxCon –
The Popular Voice Conference
A meeting point for research, teaching, and the art of the popular voice
Vienna, mdw │ipop | September 8–10, 2026
Open Classroom • Performances • Community • Inspiration
About the Conference
PopVoxCon is an international 3-day popular voice conference hosted by mdw/iPOP in Vienna dedicated to the evolving world of popular voice. The conference brings together voice teachers, singers, artists, educators, and researchers who are passionate about innovative approaches to popular voice training—both within and beyond academic settings.
Who should attend?
Voice professionals, music educators, students, researchers, artists, and anyone interested in the development of contemporary vocal practice. PopVoxCon is open to contributions and participation from a wide range of backgrounds.
Program Pillars
- Practical Tools for Teaching Popular Voice
- Body, Breath & Embodiment in Popular Voice
- How Singers Learn (Research-Informed)
- Creativity, Improvisation & Performance Teaching
Key information
Dates: September 8–10, 2026
Venue: mdw – University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna / ipop
Participation fee: €50; free participation for students.
Pre-Registration Open now. If you require confirmation for funding, please contact us at: popvoxcon@mdw.ac.at, and include: Name, Affiliation (if applicable) and “Interested in attending” or “Requesting confirmation for funding”
Languages: English, German
Contact
For updates, registration info, or general inquiries, please visit ipop.at or contact popvoxcon@mdw.ac.at.
Conference Focus
This gathering is practical, creative, and community-driven. The program features hands-on sessions, real-world teaching tools, and a variety of exchange formats:
- Open Classroom (Learning Zone)
- Presentations
- Posters
- Artist interviews
- Community sessions
- Integrated performances
PopVoxCon welcomes both scholarly and non-scholarly perspectives, encouraging dialogue and sharing across disciplines and experience levels.
Open Classroom: The Learning Zone
This format invites educators and artists to share how they actually teach in a real-world setting. Rather than a formal workshop, this is a more open, accessible format focused on practical insight and exchange.
Possible approaches include:
- Demonstrating a teaching concept or exercise
- Sharing lesson structures or classroom strategies
- Working live with participants
- Showing short video clips of student work
- Reflecting on teaching processes and challenges
The goal is to create a welcoming, community-focused space where ideas can be shared without the pressure of a formal workshop structure.
Keynote Speakers
Dr. Trineice Robinson-Martin
Internationally acclaimed vocalist and scholar, Chair at Berklee College of Music, and creator of Soul Ingredients®, advancing culturally grounded popular voice pedagogy in higher education.
Dr. Louise Traser
Voice scientist and senior physician at the Freiburg Institute for Musicians’ Medicine, specializing in phonation respiration, vocal health, and the physiology of professional singers.
Call For Papers
In addition to traditional formats, we also welcome contributions to our Open Classroom (Learning Zone), a space for sharing practical teaching approaches in an informal, accessible format. Please submit a title, format, abstract (max. 300 words), bio, and the relevant program pillar(s) to popvoxcon.submissions@mdw.ac.at English or German welcome.
PopVoxCon is committed to accessibility, inclusion, and the generous exchange of ideas in the popular voice community. Join us in Vienna for an inspiring and collaborative experience!
Call for Papers: PopVoxCon (The Popular Voice Conference) 2026
If you have an approach, a question, a practice, a study, or a teaching idea that helps singers learn and thrive in contemporary styles, PopVoxCon offers a space to share it generously, accessibly, and with curiosity. We invite contributions that support the development, research, and artistic practice of contemporary commercial music (CCM) and popular voice within higher education and beyond.