The Study Group advocates scholarly research of music and dance in and about the given region. It serves as a forum for continuous cooperation through scholarly meetings, projects, publications and correspondence.

Southeastern Europe is a region with particularly rich music and dance traditions. The region, also known as the Balkan Peninsula, has been and still is going through social, cultural and political transitions, which are reflected in music and dance traditions. The position of this region has been historically a crossroad between eastern and western cultures. The demographic structure of its population provokes an interest to ethnomusicological and ethnochoreological research not only by scholars within the region, but also by scholars from other parts of the world. Especially over the last two decades, intensified transitions in the region are attracting research not only into the preserved traditional music and dance forms, but also research into the changes provoked by the contemporary situations.

The Study Group Study Group on Music and Dance in Southeastern Europe is open to all ICTM members who are involved in the field of research in traditional music and dance, either as specialists in the field or in related fields which include consideration of materials relevant to traditional music and dance in Southeastern Europe.

The Study Group has organises an international Symposium every two years and publishes the proceedings.