Is music criticism as we know it dead? Danish music has faced increasingly difficult conditions over the years. Reader numbers are declining, while coverage of music is becoming less and less prioritized in the daily press. Just in the past year, Berlingske and Jyllands-Posten have significantly reduced their cultural coverage, and a similar gradual trend has been observed in most other newspapers. Internationally, there is also upheaval, evidenced by the closure of the renowned music media Pitchfork and its transition to the men’s magazine GQ.

These cutbacks have consequences not only for music criticism in Danish media but also for society as a whole and for the musicians themselves – both established and commercial musicians, as well as those working in narrower, more niche genres. How does it affect cultural dialogue and the future of the arts if music does not have a place in public conversation? What does the development in the media landscape mean for the performing artists themselves? Where should music enthusiasts look for narrower genres and tomorrow’s stars? What new forms of criticism can we imagine becoming dominant in the near future? We will attempt to answer these questions during this panel debate.

Panel: Anna Ullman; critic and cultural journalist, Alma Kjær Agergaard; artist/Iomfro, Ole Rosenstand Svidt; acting editor-in-chief/GAFFA, Malthe Hjort; music journalist and reviewer/Soundvenue.

Moderator: Nanna Balslev, former music editor/Berlingske, instructor/RMC

Where
Radisson BLU – Room 12

When
May 3, 3:30 PM – 4:00 PM

The event requires a ticket to Spot+. Read more here.

The panel debate is presented by Art Music Denmark in collaboration with Promus & SPOT+.