In October 2013, it is Finland’s turn to arrange the Nordic Music Days, a festival for contemporary Nordic  music. The festival has served as a showcase for the latest music and a meeting place for the composers for already 125 years. The anniversary year has made the festival bigger and broader than before, with  77 works by 74 composers in 16 concerts.

The theme of the festival is “Parallel Societies” and it explores the different trends, aesthetics, conceptions and concert institutions living side by side in contemporary society.  The concerts include orchestral and choral music, chamber music but also club evenings with electronic and electro-acoustic music. The music will be played by leading Finnish orchestras and ensembles, and the club events are hosted by defunensemble.

The programme has been selected by the three Artistic Directors of the festival: conductor Nils Schweckendiek, guitarist Petri Kumela and composer Sami Klemola.

Founded in 1888, Nordic Music Days is one of the longest continuously operating music festivals in the world. The location alternates between Nordic countries and it is arranged by the host country’s composer association and the Council of Nordic Composers.

Nordic Music Days 2013