The New Lexicon I.
Philosophy of Music Management and Leadership [research group]
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RESIDENCY PROGRAMME FOR MUSIC MANAGERS AND DIRECTORS
[October 2026 – June 2027]
The New Lexicon is an international research residency advancing philosophy of music management and leadership as a field of inquiry. It convenes practitioners who approach organising musical life not only as administration, but as a mode of thought through which artistic conditions, institutional values, agency, public experience, and possible futures are produced, examined, contested, and reformulated.
Across four online seminars and a public residency, participants will articulate the premises of their practices, develop projects through exchange, and contribute to a plural vocabulary for thinking music management and leadership anew.
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PROGRAM AT A GLANCE
Program period: October 2026–June 2027
Format: Four online seminars followed by an on-site festival phase
On-site location: Bled, Slovenia (EU)
Public presentation: Seventh Bled Contemporary Music Week
Application deadline: September 30, 2026
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FORMAT
Stage I | Articulation and Presentation | November 2026
Two online seminars introduce participants’ practices, projects, and research questions, with attention to their premises, methods, and stakes.
Stage II | Critical Inquiry and Development | February 2027
Two online seminars examine the methods, responsibilities, and functions of music management and leadership while establishing trajectories for organisational and research development.
Stage III | Public Presentation and Exchange | June 2027
Participants present their research through lectures and discussions at the seventh Bled Contemporary Music Week in Bled, Slovenia.
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RESIDENCY OVERVIEW
The New Lexicon is an international research residency advancing philosophy of music management and leadership as a field of inquiry. It convenes practitioners who understand the organisation of musical life not only as administration or professional service, but as a mode of thought and action through which artistic conditions, institutional values, collective agency, public experience, and possible futures are produced, examined, contested, and reformulated.
Across four online seminars and a public residency, participants will articulate the philosophical premises of their practices, develop organisational and research projects through critical dialogue, and contribute to a shared yet plural vocabulary for thinking music management and leadership anew. The programme considers decisions not only in terms of efficiency, strategy, growth, or measurable outcomes, but also in relation to the assumptions, distributions of power, forms of knowledge, and structures of value they enact.
The residency is intended for practitioners whose work raises questions that operational discussion alone cannot resolve. These may concern organisational purpose; the relation between artistic vision and institutional responsibility; the distribution of authority, labour, care, and risk; the allocation of time, money, and opportunity; the status of audiences and publics; the uses of data and technology; or the ethical, political, and ecological conditions within which music is organised. Participants need not follow any philosophical tradition or management model. What matters is a willingness to examine the premises of their practice and engage seriously with different perspectives.
The New Lexicon is neither a conventional professional-development course nor a seminar applying an established leadership theory to arts organisations. It is a practice-based research environment in which philosophy, management, leadership, and musical life are placed in reciprocal relation. Philosophy offers methods for clarifying concepts, testing claims, and situating practices historically. Management and leadership are approached as forms of inquiry capable of generating organisational knowledge, ethical propositions, and models of relation that may transform existing language.
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MENTORS
Dr. Alastair White
Urban Megušar, Double M.Mus.
Dr. Niki Zohdi
Dr. Dré A. Hočevar
COORDINATOR
Brina Kren
DATES
MENTORS
PROGRAMME FORMAT
RESEARCH PREMISE
WHY THE NEW LEXICON?
CENTRAL QUESTIONS
WORKING METHOD
PARTICIPANT VALUE
WHO THE PROGRAMME ADDRESSES
TOWARDS MULTIPLE PHILOSOPHIES OF MUSIC MANAGEMENT AND LEADERSHIP
APPLICATION
APPLICATION FORM AND
PARTICIPATION FEES
The New Lexicon program is produced by .abeceda Institute
.abeceda [Institute for Research in Art, Critical Thought and Philosophy], a public-benefit NGO and non-profit organisation dedicated to advancing contemporary artistic practices and critical inquiry. Through its innovative programmes, .abeceda has gained international recognition as one of the leading platforms for contemporary music and artistic research in the Adriatic region and across Europe: www.abeceda.io