This open call invites sound artists, composers, researchers, and creators to submit audio-format works that transcend conventional disciplinary boundaries, generating new forms of knowledge and experience through listening.
Works of up to 7 minutes in length
Submissions should be sent to: artesonoro@cchs.csic.es
Deadline: February 15, 2026
More information:
OBJECTIVES OF THE CALL
The call for sound art and experimental music aims to:
- Explore the intersections between art and science through sound works that problematize, question, or reconceptualize relationships across disciplines.
- Honor the memory and legacy of Rebecca Collins through creations that continue her research on listening and the transformative potential of sound.
- Promote experimental creation in any form related to sound art, understood in its broadest sense (electroacoustic music, experimental poetry, performance, etc.).
- Facilitate the dissemination of the works selected through this call.
- Generate critical dialogues among researchers from diverse scientific and artistic fields, as well as with the general public.
Works should address one or more of the following thematic axes, inspired by the research of Rebecca Collins:
- Works resulting from collaborative processes between artists and scientists.
- Projects that explore the notion of sound recording, archiving, or memory through listening.
- Creations that investigate physical phenomena (fields, particles, energy, resonance, etc.) from artistic perspectives.
- Works that explore uncertainty as a creative, scientific, or epistemological principle.
- Sound research on listening processes, attention, and the construction of meaning through sound.
This call is oriented toward fixed-format sound pieces, intended for stereo reproduction (two channels), with no intervention or live manipulation during presentation.
The selected works will be presented in two dedicated listening spaces located at the main venues of the workshop:
Institute for Theoretical Physics (IFT-CSIC), Calle Nicolás Cabrera, 13-15 (Madrid)
Listening schedule: Tuesday, March 3, continuous from 10:00 to 18:00
Institute of Humanities (CCHS-CSIC), Calle Albasanz, 26 (Madrid)
Listening schedule: Wednesday, March 4, continuous from 10:00 to 14:00
Both spaces will be equipped with professional-quality stereo playback systems, suitable for acousmatic listening of sound art works. A program listing each work and its respective author(s) will be made available to the public.
Additionally, another selection of submitted pieces will be presented as part of the cycle “Stories of Noise: Towards a Listened History of Experimental Music in Spain”, held monthly at the Sala Borau, Cineteca of Matadero Madrid. This listening session will take place on Wednesday, March 4, at 19:00, featuring a polyphonic dialogue among the selected works, as is customary in this cycle. A public discussion will follow the listening session.
More information: https://www.cinetecamadrid.com/secciones/relatos-del-ruido
Works must comply with the following technical requirements:
- Format: Stereo audio files in WAV or AIFF format, uncompressed.
- Sampling rate: Minimum 44.1 kHz (higher rates accepted: 48 kHz, 96 kHz, 192 kHz)
- Bit depth: Minimum 16-bit (higher resolutions accepted: 24-bit)
Compressed formats, such as MP3 or any other, will not be accepted.
Audio files must be available for download at all times via a file storage platform without an expiration date(acceptable examples include Google Drive, Dropbox, OneDrive, Bandcamp, etc.). Authors are responsible for ensuring that the download link is accessible without prior registration or cost and remains active until the results of the call are published. The organizing team will not accept changes to links after the submission deadline.
- Maximum duration: 7 minutes (submissions exceeding this limit will not be considered).
- Works may have been presented previously, in which case this must be stated in the text accompanying the submission.
Each submission must include the following documentation:
1. Link to the audio file
- According to the technical specifications indicated above (WAV or AIFF, stereo, minimum 44.1 kHz / 16-bit).
2. Descriptive text of the work
A document including:
- Title of the work
- Full credits: Author(s), year of composition, collaborators (if any), mention of supporting institutions or grants. If the work has been presented previously, indicate the date, place, context of the premiere, and, if applicable, its distribution in physical or digital formats.
- Description: 5–15 lines analyzing and explaining the relationship of the work to the objectives of the call, especially its connection to the intersections between art and science and the legacy of Rebecca Collins.
- Technical specifications: Exact duration, sampling rate, bit depth.
- Additional information: Any technical notes, special listening requirements, or contextualization that may facilitate understanding of the work.
3. Author’s curriculum vitae (CV)
A brief CV of 5–10 lines, including:
- Full name(s)
- Relevant artistic and academic training
- Main lines of creative work
- Concerts, exhibitions, releases, etc.
- Contact information or references (website, social media profiles, etc.)
- For collectives: identification of each member and their specific role
4. Download link
A single, functional link to the platform where the audio files are hosted, ensuring permanent access until the call results are announced.
All documentation (descriptive text, CV, and contact information) must be submitted in a single PDF file sent to: artesonoro@cchs.csic.es with subject “Sound Art Call”
Deadline: February 15, 2026 (23:59, Spain peninsular time)
Notification of selection: Applicants will be informed by February 21, 2026
By submitting a proposal to this call, the author:
- Declares authorship of the submitted work and confirms that they hold all necessary rights for its public presentation, reproduction, radio broadcast, and dissemination through any other means.
- Guarantees that the work is not subject to licensing restrictions that would prevent its presentation in academic, cultural, or research contexts, or on radio broadcasting platforms.
- Authorizes the organizers to reproduce, disseminate, and broadcast the work in the context of the workshop, the cycle “Stories of Noise”, the Ars Sonora program (Radio Clásica), and in future dissemination, research, and archival activities of the organizing institutions, non-commercially.
- Retains copyright ownership of the work, with the organizing institution responsible for proper attribution and credits in all presentations and broadcasts.
- For previously published or presented works: Works that have participated in competitions, concerts, or prior platforms are accepted, provided they are accompanied by an explicit declaration permitting participation in this call without any rights conflicts.
Q: Can I submit multiple works?
A: Yes. Each composer may submit up to three (3) different works, provided that each meets the specified requirements and is accompanied by complete, individual documentation.
Q: Is there a submission fee?
A: No. This call is free of charge. No registration or participation fees are required.
Q: Can the works have been presented previously?
A: Yes. Works that have been performed in concerts or festivals, or made available through platforms, are accepted. You only need to declare this fact and confirm that there are no rights restrictions.
Q: What happens to the audio files after the call?
A: The audio files will remain in the custody of the organizing institutions for future research, documentation, and dissemination activities. Creators retain copyright.
Q: Are selected artists remunerated?
A: No. This call does not provide financial compensation for the artists.
Q: Can I change my download link after submitting the proposal?
A: No. It is essential that the link remains functional from the time of submission until the announcement of results. No changes will be accepted afterward.
CONTACT AND ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
For any questions, please write to: artesonoro@cchs.csic.es