Ten years of ismir: Reflections on challenges and opportunities

The International Symposium on Music Information Retrieval (ISMIR) was born on 13 August 1999. This paper expresses the opinions of three of ISMIR's founders as they reflect upon what has happened during its first decade. The paper provides the background context for the events that led to the establishment of ISMIR. We highlight the first ISMIR, held in Plymouth, MA in October of 2000, and use it to elucidate key trends that have influenced subsequent ISMIRs. Indicators of growth and success drawn from ISMIR publication data are presented. The role that the Music Information Retrieval Evaluation eXchange (MIREX) has played at ISMIR is examined. The factors contributing to ISMIR's growth and success are also enumerated. The paper concludes with a set of challenges and opportunities that the newly formed International Society for Music Information Retrieval should embrace to ensure the future vitality of the conference series and the ISMIR community.