Nordic Music Days is the world’s longest running contemporary music festival, with its first edition taking place in 1888. A collaboration between the Composer Societies of the Nordic countries, it is a nomadic festival which moves between countries each year, with a focus on building a network and community, exchanging and supporting work from across the region, and as an important opportunity to showcase and explore a wide range of musical developments.

The festival has taken place outwith the Nordic regions on three occasions – in Berlin (2002), London (2017) and in Glasgow (2024). The Glasgow edition was the largest yet, with orchestral concerts from the Royal Scottish National Orchestra, BBC Scottish Chamber Orchestra, and Scottish Chamber Orchestra, a 16-channel ambisonic speaker set up, sound walks, film screenings, installations, a late night festival club, and concerts from groups including Red Note Ensemble, Hebrides Ensemble, Scottish Ensemble, Nordic Viola, defunensemble, Ensemble Temporum, KATA, Drake Music Scotland, and Elefantöra.

The 2024 festival used a new approach, with a festival and curator team drawn from throughout the Nordic region and Scotland. The host organisation in Scotland was the Royal Scottish National Orchestra, who generously provided logistical and planning support.

The next festival will again see Scottish work and artists in the programme, along with a new partnership with the Baltic Music Days festival, which is a project run by the Composer Societies in Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania.

For the next edition of Nordic Music Days, Art Music Scotland is the partner organisation from Scotland, and will support composer David Fennessy’s involvement in the curatorial team as well as planning the Scottish contribution to the festival and linked projects.

To browse the 2024 programme, visit the Nordic Music Days website.