It was founded in Brussels in 1953[1] during the UNESCO-sponsored conference on "The Role and Place of Music in the Education of Youth and Adults".
[3] The society holds conferences every two years in a different part of the world and include workshops, paper presentations, keynote addresses, symposia, and performances.
[4][5][6] In addition, ISME supports regional conferences in Africa, Asia Pacific, Europe, and the Americas, and has a range of specialist interest groups to nurture particular areas of music education.
The ISME International Office co-ordinates all communication related to the work of the society.
The society acts in an advisory capacity to UNESCO and is a member of and closely affiliated to the International Music Council.