In conjunction with RIJF 2026, the international academic conference MedMus —Mediterranean Improvisations—will take place in Rhodes, fostering a direct dialogue between academic research and live music performance.

The conference is part of the international research program MedMus (2022–2026) and brings together scholars, academics, researchers, and artists from Greece and abroad.

Organizations and academic institutions participating in the MedMus program and its collaborations include France’s CNRS (Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique), the French School of Athens, IFAO, the University of Ioannina, the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens (EKPA), as well as academics and researchers from European institutions.

The conference will focus on:

• the evolution of music in the Mediterranean,
• improvisation as a common musical and cultural space,
• intercultural musical exchanges,
• the relationship between tradition and contemporary creation,
• the impact of technology on musical practice and research.

The conference is expected to bring together 24 researchers from 7 countries, who will explore Mediterranean music through diverse academic and artistic perspectives.

Jazz Democracy NPO serves as the host organization and as a bridge between the RIJF’s scholarly research and artistic practice, fostering meaningful synergy between musicology, jazz, improvisation, technology, and cultural dialogue.

The Mediterranean Ensemble’s concert on October 23 is directly linked to the conference’s theme, translating MedMus’s theoretical and research-based approach into live musical performance.