The festival Nordic Music Days has been arranged since 1888, and we are proud to say that it is one of the oldest and well respected festivals for contemporary classical music in the world. Our festival is unique in the respect that it is arranged by the composers themselves. Each year one of our members, the national societies of composers, arranges the festival on behalf of the Council of Nordic Composers. You can read more about the current or upcoming festival at the festival’s own website.
History
(From wikipedia)
From the mid-nineteenth century, at regular intervals, song festivals were arranged where choirs from all over the North met. The repertoire was decidedly ‘national’ – one could say that when the Nordic countries were gathered there was a need to express national distinctiveness. But joint activities were arranged too, for example in 1929 when a choir of 1000 sang the Nordic cantata Song of the North, composed jointly by five composers – one from each Nordic country. The song festivals continued well into the first half of the twentieth century.
The first true “Nordic Music Days” was held in Copenhagen in 1888 and its main emphasis was on instrumental and orchestral music. This was to be a forum where Nordic composers could have their works performed, and the first festival presented works from Denmark, Norway and Sweden – among other ways in seven large-scale choral and orchestral concerts.
The next festivals were held in Stockholm in 1897, and in 1919 – again in Copenhagen, where among others Carl Nielsen, Jean Sibelius, Wilhelm Stenhammer and Johan Halvorsen conducted. The first time the festival was held in Helsinki was 1921, then it was held in Stockholm in 1927, in Helsinki again in 1932, and finally in Oslo in 1934. The Copenhagen 1938 festival was the last one before the outbreak of World War II.
After the war the Nordic composers’ societies joined forces to form the Nordic Council of Composers, which immediately after its establishment in 1946 assumed the main responsibility for Nordic Music Days. Since 1948 the festival has been held in turn in the Nordic capitals every other year. Until the 1970s the repertoire profile was still purely Nordic, but from 1974- 82 composers and works from a ‘guest country’ were invited: Poland in 1974, Canada in 1976, the GDR in 1978, the UK in 1980, and in 1982 France. After this it went back to being a festival exclusively for new Nordic music.
Past festivals:
| London 2017 – Sweden | Stockholm 1998 – Sweden | Reykjavík 1967 – Iceland | Helsingfors 1921 –Finland |
| Reykjavík 2016 – Iceland | Reykjavík 1996 – Iceland | Helsingfors 1964 –Finland | København 1919 – Denmark |
| København 2015 – Denmark | København 1994 – Denmark | København 1962 – Denmark | Stockholm 1897 – Sweden |
| Oslo 2014 – Norway | ULTIMA, in Oslo 1992 – Norway | Stockholm 1960 – Sweden | København 1888 – Denmark |
| Helsinki 2013 – Finland | Turku, Espoo, Helsinki 1990 – Finland | Oslo 1958 – Norway | |
| Stockholm 2012 – Sweden | Stockholm 1988 – Sweden | Helsingfors 1956 –Finland | |
| Reykjavík 2011 – Iceland | Reykjavík 1986 – Iceland | Reykjavík 1954 – Iceland | |
| København 2010 – Denmark | København 1984 – Denmark | København 1952 – Denmark | |
| Oslo 2009 – Norway | Oslo 1982 – Norway | Helsingfors 1950 –Finland | |
| Helsinki 2008 – Finland | Helsingfors 1980 –Finland | Oslo 1948 – Norway | |
| Norrköping 2007 – Sweden | Stockholm 1978 – Sweden | Stockholm 1947 – Sweden. | |
| Reykjavík 2006 – Iceland | Reykjavík 1976 – Iceland | København 1938 – Denmark | |
| Cph/Mmx/Hel 2004 – Denmark | København 1974 – Denmark | Oslo 1934 – Norway | |
| MAGMA, in Berlin 2002 – Norway | Helsingfors 1970 –Finland | Helsingfors 1932 –Finland | |
| Lahti, Turku, Helsinki 2000– Finland | Stockholm 1968 – Sweden | Stockholm 1927 – Sweden |