The 5th European Music Therapy Conference took place in Naples, Italy from 20–24 April 2001. The minutes of the EMTC meeting in Jerusalem in 2000 offer a detailed insight into how the congress was conceived, both practically and philosophically. By this stage, the EMTC had developed a more established structure, with clearer planning processes and a growing sense of scale and coordination across Europe.
Theme and overall approach
The general ideas and philosophical basis of the congress were presented by Gianluigi Di Franco, focused on the theme of “Music Therapy in Europe”. A key intention was that different regions of Europe would be visibly represented within the congress structure.
Programme development
The scientific programme was presented by Tony Wigram in his role as scientific coordinator.
A structured framework was proposed, including:
approximately 60 presentations of 30 minutes each
9 workshops
Around 100 abstracts had already been received by the end of April, suggesting a significant level of engagement across Europe.
Selection criteria for presentations included:
quality of the proposal
relevance
originality of the topic
the presenter’s professional background
European representation
A notable decision was taken to strengthen the European dimension of the congress.
Each European country would present a poster outlining the state of music therapy within that country. Responsibility for these posters lay with the EMTC delegates.
In addition, a collective EMTC poster was to be prepared, coordinated by Werner, with contributions gathered by Gianluigi Di Franco and Helle Nystrup Lund.
This reflects a clear intention to map and communicate the development of music therapy across Europe.
Round tables and working groups
Round table discussions were organised through sub-committees and working groups. Each group was asked to submit:
a summary
key questions
main aims
and a list of potential contributors
The areas identified included:
Research (Wigram, Aldridge)
Accreditation (De Backer, Pistorio, Pioch)
Training (Sekeles, Ahonen-Erikäinen, Polychroniadou, Fausch, De Backer, Vrait, Wigram, Halmer-Stein)
European Union policy (Nöcker-Ribeaupierre)
Supervision (Werner)
Students (with responsibility assigned to Halmer-Stein)
This shows a more developed thematic organisation compared to earlier congresses, with clear links to professionalisation, training standards, and European policy.
Opening and closing sessions
For the opening session, a video-based presentation was proposed and unanimously approved. This would take the form of a one-hour session led by three presenters (Wigram, Trondalen, Nöcker-Ribaupierre), combining short video excerpts from different countries.
Delegates were asked to identify relevant material within their own contexts. The aim was to demonstrate the effects of music therapy, including treatment outcomes, successes, and improvements in health.
Multilingual organisation
Given the scale of the congress, parallel sessions with translation were planned. Speakers were informed that:
presentation time might be slightly reduced
written copies of their presentations would need to be submitted in advance for interpreters
This reflects the ongoing practical challenges of multilingual communication within European gatherings.
Financial planning
The financial framework was clearly articulated during the planning phase.
Estimated expenses: approximately $140,000 (≈ €150,000; ≈ €230,000–260,000 today)
A balanced budget was projected with:
300 full-fee participants
registration fee of $350 (≈ €375; ≈ €560–620 today)
(an increase of $25 compared to Leuven 1998)
Student registration was estimated at:
$250 (≈ €270; ≈ €400–450 today)
(subject to confirmation from training institutions)
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