The first Rostrum took place in 1954 and involved delegates from the German, French, Belgian and Swiss national broadcasting companies.
From then until 2002 the Rostrum's sessions were held at UNESCO's headquarters in Paris, with the exception of 2000 when they were hosted by Muziek Groep Nederland and the Gaudeamus Foundation in Amsterdam.
These selected and recommended works are those most likely to be broadcast or played in concerts sponsored by the participating networks or others that follow the Rostrum's deliberations.
Since 2015, the International Rostrum of Composers is part of a large project called Rostrum+ a cooperation project co-funded by the Creative Europe programme of the European Union which aims to rethink the ways in which contemporary music connects with audiences through radio network by exploring new strategies to develop audiences, promote new music, enhance the skills of radio professionals and inspire cooperation between musicians, higher music education institutions and broadcasting companies throughout Europe and beyond.
Swedish Radio and IMC jointly commission a work to the composer selected in the “Under 30” category.
The composer is invited to Sweden for an introductory 2-day workshop with a local ensemble and then write a work for them which is broadcast live by the Swedish Radio.