UNM (Ung Nordisk Musik) is a joint organization spanning the Nordic and Baltic countries, whose mission is to promote the work of young music makers and sound artists by producing a yearly festival. Founded in 1946, making it one of the oldest festivals of its kind, UNM has been a meeting place for creators under the age of 31 to exchange thoughts, musical ideas and establish new connections with others from across Northern Europe.

Each country has its own UNM network and Board, and the annual festival is hosted by the member countries in rotation.

In 2024, the first UNM and Nordic Music Days exchange took place, with 4 Scottish composers travelling to Örebro, Sweden, for 5 days of workshops and concerts. These composers collaborated with 4 composers from UNM in order to co-compose short pieces, which were then performed in Nordic Music Days 2024.

2 Scottish composers joined the 2025 fesitval in Helsinki, and there are plans to create a delegation for the 80th birthday festival, which will take place in Copenhagen in 2026.

2024 participants
Lisa Robertson (Scotland) & Ása Onnü Ólafsdóttir (Iceland) - faxi/farsaing (alto flute. bass clarinet, piano, cello and electronics)
Aileen Sweeney (Scotland) & Heli Hartikainen (Finland) - KIDE (violin, viola and electronics)
Finn O’Hare (Scotland) & Saga Fagerström (Sweden) - glint (violin, viola and electronics)
David Ford (Scotland) & Connor McLean (Denmark) - (voice)

2025 participants
Kris Rasmussen
Sarah Corr


Both projects were kindly supported by the Scottish Government’s Nordic Office