Established by the Nordic Composers Council (NKR) in 1888, Nordic Music Days is one of the world’s oldest festivals for Nordic contemporary music and sound and is unique in that it is curated by the composers themselves.
NKR comprises the chair of each of the composer societies in Denmark, Faroe Islands, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden. Historically, each of the member associations of the NKR has taken it in turn to host and programme the festival.
The 2024 festival is a new collaboration between Scotland and the Nordics, with the ambition to build long-lasting, sustainable partnerships between musical organisations, communities and creative individuals and is the first time that the festival has been presented in Scotland.
The theme running through the festival is Word of Mouth. It invokes something personal, informal and close: the passing on, movement and the spreading of ideas, stories, knowledge and traditions.
As well as the strength and variety of the artistic programme, the festival is an enormous coming together of the contemporary music industry in all these countries, with partnership and exchange being key to its legacy including a focus on sustainable practice and social responsibility.
Martin Jonsson Tibblin, Chair of the Council of Nordic Composers and the Swedish Society of Composers: “Nordic Music Days has been an unmissable event for over a century. It’s a chance for composers from across the region to gather together, hear each other’s music, discuss trends and ideas, and to share and develop cultural and artistic experiences. There’s a strong affinity to Scottish music and culture in the Nordics, so the Council of Nordic Composers is looking forward to seeing the opportunities that open up for composers, performers, organisations, and audiences as a result of this exciting new partnership, which I believe will last long after the festival.”
Alistair Mackie, CEO of the Royal Scottish National Orchestra: “The truly remarkable thing about this project, which has been supported here in Scotland for this special edition by Creative Scotland, is the number of partner organisations who are working together, pooling resources and facilitating each other’s performances in order to share a common artistic goal and conversation. So many are contributing to the project and looking towards future collaborations and partnerships throughout the Nordic region.”
Culture Secretary Angus Robertson said: “We are delighted to welcome Nordic Music Days to Scotland for the first time in its 136-year history. The five-day programme is truly innovative and a celebration of contemporary music from Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Finland, Greenland, Iceland, the Faroe Islands and Scotland. The festival brings together artists from these countries in venues all across Glasgow to showcase the exceptional diversity of music that is being created and performed. We are looking forward to giving a very warm welcome to all those performing at, and attending, Nordic Music Days in Glasgow, a UNESCO City of Music.”
Key partners:
Nordic Music Days 2024 is a Council of Nordic Composers project, managed on their behalf by the Danish Composers Society in partnership with the Royal Scottish National Orchestra. The Council of Nordic Composers is comprised of the composer societies of Denmark, the Faroe Islands, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden.
The Festival is built around collaboration and exchange and we are grateful to many project and funding partners for their support including:
Festival and industry programme partners
Art Music Denmark, BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, Drake Music Scotland, Faroe Music Export, Glasgow Film Theatre, hcmf, Hebrides Ensemble, Iceland Music, Julie’s Bicycle, Music Finland, Music Norway, Nordic Film Music Days, Nordic Theatre Laboratory, Northern Connection, Nuuk Nordic Festival, Premier Scotland, Red Note Ensemble, Scottish Chamber Orchestra, Scottish Music Centre, Sound, STATUS, Street Level Photoworks, TIALT, Ultima, University of Glasgow, Ung Nordisk Musik.
The festival is supported by:
Arts Council England, Arts and Culture Norway, Augustinus Foundation, Cockaigne Fund, Creative Europe, Creative Scotland, Danish Arts Foundation, Danish Ministry of Culture, Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, EVM, Glasgow Life/ UNESCO City of Music, Koda’s Cultural Funds, LiveMX cofunded by the European Union, Nordic Council of Ministers, Nordic Culture Fund, the Performing Rights Society, William Demant Foundation.
With additional support from:
The Embassy of Denmark in the United Kingdom; The Representation of the Faroe Islands in London; The Embassy of Finland, London; The Finnish Institute, London; The Embassy of Iceland in London; Nordic Council of Ministers; The Royal Norwegian Embassy in London; The Embassy of Sweden in the United Kingdom; Scottish Government; and the British Council.
Council of Nordic Composers:
- Juliana Hodkinson (Denmark)
- Knut Olaf Sunde (Norway)
- Martin Jonsson Tibblin (Sweden)
- Osmo Tapio Räihälä (Finland)
- Páll Ragnar Pálsson (Iceland)
- Sunleif Rasmussen (Faroes)
with thanks to previous members Antti Auvinen (Finland), Jørgen Karlstrøm (Norway), and Þórunn Gréta Sigurðardóttir (Iceland) for their support and input.
Project Managers:
- Rachel Faulkner (Nordics)
- Andy Saunders (Scotland)
Curator Team:
- Gillian Moore (Scotland)
- Guoste Tamulynaite (Norway)
- Lauri Supponen (Finland)
- Pippa Mirphy (Scotland)
- Tróndur Bogason (Faroes)
Royal Scottish National Orchestra team
Danish Composers' Society:
- Sine Tofte Hannibal
- Tina Schelle
- Isabel Douglas
- Michelle Demant
University of Glasgow:
- Katy Lavinia Cooper
- Nick Fells
- Kevin Leomo
- Joan Keenan
NordEx:
- Jess Partridge
- Josie Gaitens
PR and Communications:
- Susie Gray
- Magda Paduch
- Rebecca Garvey
Graphic designer:
- Malene Henssel
Website design:
- Thomas Foss Christensen - NMD festival site
- Jens Voigt Lund - NMD submission site
Evaluation:
- Hannah Arnett
- Douglas Lonie
Interns:
- Anna Saarelainen
- Oliver Finch
Tech:
- Ian Gibson
With thanks to the the teams at the Association of Faroese Composers, the Finnish Composers Society, the Icelandic Composers Society, the Norwegian Composers Society, the Society of Swedish Composers, Art Music Denmark, Faroe Music Export, Music Finland, Iceland Music and Music Norway.