Did you miss our event with the Society of Danish Music Associations? Here you can read a summary highlighting the key points from the panel discussion.

On Sunday, October 6, Art Music Denmark, in collaboration with the Association of Danish Music Societies (Sammenslutningen af danske musikforeninger – SDM), hosted The Music Associations’ Day. The event marked SDM’s 50th anniversary and included a panel discussion, a professional networking meeting, a concert, and a reception.

The panel discussion was moderated by Art Music Denmark’s director, Regin Petersen, and the panel featured Sine Tofte Hannibal (member of the The Danish Arts Foundation’s Project Support Committee for Music), Maria Frej (cultural leader and author of the report “Kammermusikforeninger i Danmark 2024”), Anja Nedremo (freelance musician and consultant for Art Music Denmark), and Aksel Nielsen (chairman of SDM).

Maria Frej referred to Danish music societies as a success story. She began by presenting her report, which shows that the state of Danish music societies is not as dire as some might think, though challenges remain, including the need for greater focus on audience development.

Aksel Nielsen raised the issue of filling out The Danish Arts Foundation’s concert support application (and applications in general). There was considerable confusion among attendees regarding some of the questions in the application form, a sentiment echoed by Aksel Nielsen. Sine Tofte Hannibal explained The Danish Arts Foundation’s considerations and focus on sustainability, emphasizing that addressing sustainability issues is not a formal requirement and cannot alone determine the rejection or approval of an application.

Regin Petersen noted a linguistic gap in understanding between funders and applicants and suggested that concrete examples and ideas could help music societies work practically with sustainability.

Anja Nedremo shared insights into music societies in Denmark, Sweden, and Norway, noting that the challenges faced are quite similar. This could pave the way for more Nordic collaborations in the future.

Aksel Nielsen pointed to a positive development in the broader concert repertoire since the networking meeting “Vi mødes på trianglen” at Snoghøj Folk High School on May 13, 2018. This includes more contemporary music and works by female composers. He also highlighted the importance of the K7 initiative to attract younger audiences.

There was broad agreement on the relevance of networking meetings between music societies, preferably organized jointly by Art Music Denmark and SDM.

Following the networking meeting and panel discussion, there was an anniversary concert by NOVO Quartet, featuring an exciting program with works by Caroline Shaw (1982), Shostakovich, a world premiere by Matias Vestergård (1989) and Beethoven’s Opus 59 No. 3 in C major.

A big thank you to everyone who participated in the event and helped make it an inspiring day for all involved!

The Music Associations’ Day was organized in collaboration between Art Music Denmark and the Association of Danish Music Societies. Music Societies’ Day and the concert with Novo Quartet were supported by the Augustinus Foundation, the Danish Musicians’ Union and The Danish Arts Foundation.