The Asia-Pacific Symposium for Music Education Research (APSMER), established in 1997, is an international forum for music education in the Asia-Pacific region and serves as a regional conference of the International Society for Music Education (ISME). Over the years, APSMER has remained committed to advancing research in music education, to facilitate scholarly exchange among music education researchers across the Asia-Pacific region, with a focus on both theory and practice.
Held biennially, APSMER brings together scholars and professionals to advance music education across the Asia-Pacific region and beyond. It provides a platform for music education researchers to present their latest work, engage in scholarly dialogue, and share knowledge and experience. Since the first APSMER conference was held in Seoul, Korea, in 1997, the symposium has continued to grow in both scale and influence.
The symposium has two principal objectives: (1) to facilitate the exchange of knowledge and practical experience among music education professionals in the Asia-Pacific region; and (2) to promote collaboration in the development of music education theory and practice, while supporting participants in building robust international networks for scholarly cooperation.
The 16th APSMER will be held in Suzhou, China, in 2027. Previous and forthcoming host cities are: Seoul, Korea (1997); Launceston, Australia (1999); Nagoya, Japan (2001); Hong Kong, China (2003); Seattle, United States (2005); Bangkok, Thailand (2007); Shanghai, China (2009); Taipei, China (2011); Singapore (2013); Hong Kong, China (2015); Melaka, Malaysia (2017); Macao, China (2019); Tokyo, Japan (2021); Seoul, Korea (2023), and Perth, Australia (2025).
