This special issue of "Aisthesis" explores the ways in which contemporary ontologies have helped to deepen our understanding of music in its various genres and forms of expression: oral, written, and phonographic. Besides investigating the evolution of the ontological status of musical objects in the light of the technological innovations occurred over the last century, the articles collected here investigate the relationship between ontology and aesthetics and address the question of the criteria for the identification and the evaluation of musical works, musical performances, and improvisations.
