Most of the IN.TUNE Alliance Community gathered in Vienna from 11 to 13 May 2026 for several days of discussion, collaboration and strategic planning. The Summit began with a dedicated meeting of the IN.TUNE Student Council, which came together a day before the official programme started. Alongside their regular meetings, members took time to reflect more deeply on what it means to engage in international higher music education and on the role students can play within IN.TUNE.

In May 2026, Vienna became, for several days, a meeting place for ideas, people, and visions shaping the future of arts education in Europe. Hosted by the University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna (mdw), the IN.TUNE Summit 2026 brought together representatives of all eight partner institutions of the alliance – members of the Governing Board, Student Council, work packages, working groups, and associated partners.

The European Universities Alliance IN.TUNE – Innovative Universities in Music and Arts in Europe recently celebrated one of its milestones at the mdw: the first IN.TUNE Summit. In a packed programme presented from 11 to 13 May 2026, some 250 participants from the IN.TUNE partner universities dedicated themselves to the long-term further development of the alliance and the intensified exchange among the institutions.

What is IN.TUNE, and what is the special importance of this European Universities Alliance? Get to know IN.TUNE session, held in the Konzertsaal of the mdw’s Future Art Lab, invited interested participants to join representatives of IN.TUNE in surveying the Alliance’s work and future. 

From 11 to 13 May 2026, the IN.TUNE Summit will gather the alliance community at the mdw – University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna for three days of exchange on the future directions of music and arts education in Europe.

As the alliance’s largest event, the Summit will gather members of the Work Package Committees and Working Groups, the Governing Board, the Alliance Management Team, the Student Council and associated partners. Together, participants will share experiences and achievements from the first half of the project cycle, strengthen connections across the alliance, groups, institutions, and partner organisations, and open a dialogue on its future development and sustainability.

As Europe accelerates its push for STEM talent and technical skills, IN.TUNE's Co-Secretary General Martin Prchal argues that the arts shouldn't be a luxury add-on — they are a strategic asset. Read on to find out what he said, and why it matters for the future of European higher education.