Abbreviation IMC Type INGO Region served Worldwide | Formation 1949 Headquarters Paris, France Official language English, French | |
The International Music Council (IMC) was created in 1949 as UNESCO's advisory body on matters of music. It is based at UNESCO's headquarters in Paris, France, where it functions as an independent international non-governmental organization. Its primary aim is to facilitate the development and promotion of international music-making.
The IMC currently consists of seventy-six national committees, thirty-four internationally recognised organizations and thirty-five individuals and members of honor, who are invited from the ranks of eminent performers, composers and educators. It is represented by regional councils in Europe, Africa, the Arab world, the Americas and Asia, Australasia and the Pacific. Their task is to develop and support programmes specifically tailored to the needs of the IMC members and partners in their region. Through these councils and members, the IMC has links to over one thousand music-related organizations worldwide.
One of the IMC's well-established and regular activities is its yearly International Rostrum of Composers, a forum offering broadcasting representatives the opportunity to exchange and publicize pieces of contemporary classical music. In addition, IMC was responsible for implementing International Music Day (IMD) on October 1 of every year.