The International School Music Association of Asia
亞洲國際學校音樂協會
Connect Schools
Inspire Music Across Asia
The International School Music Association of Asia (ISMAA) is a regional organization dedicated to supporting young musicians, music educators, international schools, researchers, and arts leaders across Asia. Through competitions, student publications, festivals, forums, honor ensembles, and professional collaboration, ISMAA creates meaningful opportunities for students to develop their artistic abilities, present their work, and engage with peers from diverse cultural and educational backgrounds.
ISMAA places Asian cultures, musical traditions, and regional perspectives at the center of its mission. It seeks to strengthen Asia’s role in international music education, performance, research, and artistic evaluation while encouraging productive dialogue between regional traditions and global practices. The association also supports educators and schools by providing a professional network for exchange, partnership, and the development of new academic and artistic initiatives.
By bringing together students, schools, educators, adjudicators, researchers, and institutional partners, ISMAA aims to build a credible, inclusive, and forward-looking music community. Its long-term goal is to expand access to high-quality opportunities, cultivate emerging talent, encourage scholarship, and advance a stronger Asian voice within the international musical landscape.
Our Impact
Competitions
ISMAA competitions welcome young musicians of different ages, backgrounds, and disciplines to present their work in a professional and supportive setting. Through transparent criteria and expert adjudication, the competitions recognize artistic achievement, encourage growth, and connect students across Asia.
Student Journal
The ISMAA Student Journal provides a platform for emerging scholars to publish research, criticism, and interdisciplinary writing on music. It encourages students to develop original ideas, engage with diverse musical traditions, and contribute to a stronger culture of academic inquiry across Asia.
Events
ISMAA events bring together students, educators, artists, researchers, and school communities through festivals, forums, workshops, conferences, honor ensembles, and annual meetings. These programs promote artistic exchange, professional collaboration, and meaningful dialogue across cultures and institutions.
From the President
I envision ISMAA as a regional platform that supports young musicians, strengthens music education, and brings international schools across Asia into closer artistic and academic collaboration. At the heart of this vision is the development of musical aesthetics, critical perspectives, and systems of evaluation rooted in Asian cultures, musical traditions, histories, and contemporary experiences. Rather than relying exclusively on standards established elsewhere, I hope ISMAA can help create a more balanced and culturally responsive framework through which musical excellence, originality, interpretation, and artistic value are understood. By connecting students, educators, performers, researchers, adjudicators, and institutions, ISMAA will encourage new forms of performance, scholarship, dialogue, and intercultural exchange, while giving young musicians the confidence to engage with both regional traditions and global practices. My goal is to build an inclusive, credible, and forward-looking community that cultivates talent and strengthens Asia’s voice in international music education and cultural discourse.
——Mofan Lai, Ph.D.
