3 March 2025: we are delighted to announce ‘Composing Change. Orchestral Impact in European Societies’, a major new research partnership lead by the Center for Applied Music Research at our creative and residency partners the University for Continuing Education Krems (UWK). Generously supported by the Department of Science and Research of Lower Austria, the three-year initiative will explore the profound impact of orchestras on European societies, covering four key areas: artistic and skills development, cultural diplomacy, environmental and social values, and regional cultural policies. Additionally, the research will examine issues of gender and intersectionality, mental health and well-being, and European values.

The EUYO has long been present in Lower Austria, cementing our permanent home in Grafenegg in 2022. We also enjoy a management office at the UWK, and our research collaboration represents a significant next step. As a university for continuing education, UWK specialises in enhancing the qualifications of working professionals. It builds transdisciplinary bridges between core research and practice-oriented application, focused on contemporary and future challenges. It is the ambition of our partnership at the intersection of research and praxis to make a major contribution to understanding how orchestras shape society.