isa26

Global networking, international cooperation and cultural diversity are coming under increasing pressure. At the same time, the tension between global standards and local and regional self-determination is growing – a “tug-of-war” situation that offers great creative potential.

isa26 is dedicated to exploring this area of tension. A wide variety of backgrounds, origins and artistic practices are brought together in masterclasses, workshops and with isaOnStage. Here, the focus is on migration, the cultural character of places and the relationship between global and local musical traditions.

Special emphasis is being placed on persecuted music in 2026, the jubilee year of the mdw’s Exilarte research centre. With the Music City Lab, spaces for musical and discussion-based gatherings are being created in Vienna – both on the mdw campus and in collaboration with partners from the city.

Johannes Meissl, vice rector of the mdw and artistic director of isa