Theoretical BackgroundMusic mediation media—such as program booklets, textbooks, and concert formats—are not neutral carriers of information. They operate as communicative practices in which actors position themselves, address audiences, and shape narratives of music. Each format encodes a communicative intent (what is conveyed), a set of actors (who speaks, with what authority), and an addressed counterpart (who is meant to read, listen, or act). From this perspective, the panel explores how mediation media construct and negotiate narratives of music—how they build bridges between actors and audiences, but also draw boundaries by staging voice, authority, and address.Aim of the PanelThe panel examines how different media communicate musical knowledge and meaning, shaping narratives through their modes of address and authority. It compares textual and performative mediation to identify convergences and tensions: between expert authority and dialogic address; between legacy narratives and participatory formats; between durable print cultures and adaptive, event-based practices. A further focus lies on transformation: how formats evolve (or resist change) in accessibility.Methods and ApproachThe contributions mobilize complementary approaches: discourse analysis of program booklets; analysis of textbooks; and reflections from practice on developing concert formats. Together, these perspectives enable a comparative view of how formats speak, to whom they speak, and to what ends.Contribution 1 — Program booklets as discursive media: This contribution examines program booklets accompanying a long-running opera production at a major Western European opera house. A discourse-analytical lens maps historically situated constellations of voice, address, and learning fields—from listening guidance and historical framing to essays on social or ethical themes—without presuming a linear evolution. The analysis asks who speaks with what authority, which readerships are envisioned, and how thresholds are raised or lowered. Program booklets are approached not as add-ons but as educational media that shape what counts as knowledge and how audiences are expected to engage. The study highlights how communicative choices configure participation and narrative emphasis around power, violence, and gender.Contribution 2 — Textbooks as sites of narration, omission, and the (in)visibility of women composers:This contribution examines textbooks as communicative media that frame, reduce, and canonize knowledge rather than present it neutrally. Focusing on materials for upper secondary education in a German-speaking region, it analyzes how women composers appear and how inclusion or exclusion shapes students’ access to music history. Textbooks condense a vast field into selected “essentials,” giving curriculum designers, publishers, and authors significant power in defining what counts as representative. The study asks who gains visibility, how canonical paradigms such as the “great master” obstruct integration, and which identificatory possibilities are opened—or denied—to learners.Contribution 3 — Concert formats and music mediation (practice perspective):This reflection of practice examines a music-theatrical performance premiered at a major European festival. The production reflected institutional transformation: establishing mediation as a guiding principle, strengthening community art, and expanding inclusive formats within a coherent aesthetic approach. Working with d/Deaf artists and a local sign-language choir, the artistic lead developed a piece that took mediative aspects as its starting point. In collaboration with an access-dramaturgy specialist and a d/Deaf poet, the project posed the central question of how to translate music for d/Deaf people and broaden audience perception in an unusual setting. Communication proved key both in the artistic process and in educational media. Where people with different languages meet—and where the perception of music differs—the mediation of communication becomes the central artistic element.Conclusions and Implications for Music MediationAcross formats, communication emerges as the common denominator: program booklets, textbooks, and concert formats all aim to be read, used, or attended—they must sustain attention. Drawing from concert theory, the panel foregrounds audience engagement and community involvement as central objectives: keeping audiences with the music, deepening attention, and shaping conditions for meaningful encounters. This raises questions for participation, co-creation, and sustainability: How do formats enable audiences to take part? Which channels broaden access—and where are thresholds intentionally maintained as part of a medium’s identity? By juxtaposing textual and performative media, the panel shows how narratives are constructed, with consequences for what becomes recognized as musical knowledge and for how individuals relate to music in educational and public spheres.Panel Format and DiscussionThe session comprises three contributions, threaded by a moderation. The moderator will map actors and channels, prompt participatory discussion with the audience, and steer a closing exchange on evaluative criteria for bridge-building.The panel invites the audience to explore how different media communicate musical knowledge. Guiding questions include: What do audiences expect from these formats, and how can they shape content? Which formats effectively build bridges across communities? How can the impact of these bridges on participation and learning be assessed over time? By foregrounding audience contributions, the panel fosters collaborative evaluation of media practices and their role in music mediation.