The 2003 Hong Kong conference follows meetings of the Asia-Pacific Symposium on Music Education Research community in Seoul (1997), Tasmania (1999) and Nagoya (2001). APSMER 2003 is supported by the International Society for Music Education Research Commission.

The symposium is organized to work collaboratively for the promotion of music education research in the region and to stimulate, guide and encourage good quality research using a variety of methodologies. The aims of the 4th Asia-Pacific Symposium on Music Education Research are to promote music education research, disseminate research findings, and encourage academic exchange in the Asia-Pacific Region.