SPOT+ presents the newly formed, Music Cities Network, and together with a string of external speakers, the network will discuss the term “music cities”, the development of creative businesses, presenting strategies and discuss cooperation in regards to talent development, educational projects, exchange programs and the importance of creating new international relationships. 

Presented by Music Cities Network & Music City Aarhus in collaboration with Promus & SPOT+.

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Welcome by Rabih Azad-Ahmad/Mayor of Sport, Culture and Citizen Services, The City of Aarhus.

Rabih Azad-Ahmad (DK)

Mayor of Culture, Aarhus

Rabih Azad-Ahmad was born on 26 February 1976 in a refugee camp in southern Lebanon. At age 13, he fled with his parents and siblings to Denmark. Rabih has a Master in Law from the University of Aarhus. In addition to his political career, he has his own law practice. Rabih has been a member of Aarhus City Council since 1 February 2007 and Mayor of Sport, Culture and Citizen Services since 1 January 2014.

Keynote by Christer Windeløv-Lidzélius/The Kaospilots – Aarhus.

Today culture and art are recognized by most as key for living in an attractive society. It is often seen as the original sources of new thinking, pushing boundaries and generates original ideas that ultimately bring our societies forward. But where the creative economy is by some considered to be the next stage after the knowledge society, some see it as a fluffy concept without real consequence to the economic value creation. In this talk we will address the value of the creative economy by a bottom up approach by looking at a few cases, but also to see how education can play a positive role for helping people succeed in a context where creativity and innovation is desired beyond everything.

Christer Windeløv-Lidzélius (DK)

CEO & Principal, The Kaospilots - Aarhus.

Christer Windeløv-Lidzelius is the Principal of Kaospilot - a renowned hybrid between a business and a design school in Aarhus, recognised for its pedagogical approach to develop leadership and entrepreneurial capacity in people and organisations. Christers expertise lies in the intersection of leadership, strategy, innovation and entrepreneurship. He is a frequent speaker, a guest professor at the Stockholm School of Arts and member of the think tank Forum DAvignon amongst other things.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/lidzelius/

After a short presentation by representatives from Hamburg, Bergen, Norrköping & Aarhus, the panel will discuss what it takes to be a music city and how they work as such, how music is implemented in an overall cultural strategy, why music matters and what it can do from – not only from an artistic, cultural, social, and educational perspective, but also from a business perspective.

Panel: Johannes Everke/Hamburg Marketing, Sandra Wall/Musikhuvudstad 2020 – Norrköping, Karen Sofie Sørensen/BRAK – Bergen & Jesper Mardahl/Promus & Music City Aarhus.

Moderator: Carsten Ortmann/DR P1

Johannes Everke (DE)

Head of Digital Marketing, Hamburg Marketing

As director of marketing services at Hamburg Marketing Johannes has extensive experience working with the full spectrum of music businesses, artists and events to promote the city, both in Germany and internationally. He has been instrumental in developing a strategy, based on initiatives, involving the organisations stake holders; local tourism board, the local development agency, Hamburg airport and the convention bureau - as well as local musicians, venues, musicals, classical orchestras and even Europes largest metal festival, Wacken.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/everke/

Sandra Wall (SE)

Projekt Manager, Musikhuvudstad 2020 - Norrköping

Sandra Wall is a project manager at the Trade and Industrydepartment. Her main focus is to find and implement best practices in the municipal structures to create a sustainable and successful music scene. She followed the development in Norrköping for almost 20 years as the cultural columnist, reporter, reviewer and editor for the local newspaper NT/Ostgota Media- including their website and tv-channel.

Karen Sofie Sørensen (NO)

Manager , BRAK - Bergen

Karen Sofie Sørensen is the manager of the organization Brak in Bergen. Brak has been an important part in developing the music scene on the westcoast of Norway since 1997. It is a is a non-profit artist and music business development center helping musicians, bands, venues, promoters and other music business through various projects, seminars, workshops and guidance. Brak is also organizing the music conference during the new festival Vill Vill Vest in Bergen in September. Karen Sofie is also a board member of Music Norway, Bergen City Event and Norwegian Live Music Association.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/karensofiesorensen/

Jesper Mardahl (DK)

Managing Director, Promus & Music City Aarhus

With more than 35 years as a music industry professional, Jesper has been around most areas of the music scene in Denmark. Initially as a musician, but since then mostly working "backstage" as A&R manager, producer, label manager, and artist manager for some of the leading record companies in Denmark. Jesper earlier worked as a project manager at Denmarks largest music magazine, GAFFA & as co-developer of the Music Management education at the Royal Academy of Music. Since 2010 he has been head of Promus The Music Community of Aarhus Denmarks second-largest city.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/jesper-mardahl-9859a13/

Carsten Ortmann (DK)

Producer & host, DR P1

Carsten Ortmann is one of the country's best communicators of music and philosophy. Carsten has for many years been producer and radio host at P1 and miscellaneous music- and culture programs at P1, P2 and P8. He has a degree in Aesthetic and Culture from Aarhus University and is a musician in different bands, such as JP & Yeti, Picnic, Guttermændene, Shirtsville, Tintin & Hårtørrerne, Hunk Ai & Fullface Storband.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/carsten-ortmann-989109/

An overview and introduction to aims, means and best-practices from the new network now consisting of music cities such as Groningen, Sydney, Aarhus, Berlin & Hamburg.

Meet Jesper Mardahl/Promus & Music City Aarhus & Timotheus Wiesmann/IHM Hamburg.

Jesper Mardahl (DK)

Managing Director, Promus & Music City Aarhus

With more than 35 years as a music industry professional, Jesper has been around most areas of the music scene in Denmark. Initially as a musician, but since then mostly working "backstage" as A&R manager, producer, label manager, and artist manager for some of the leading record companies in Denmark. Jesper earlier worked as a project manager at Denmarks largest music magazine, GAFFA & as co-developer of the Music Management education at the Royal Academy of Music. Since 2010 he has been head of Promus The Music Community of Aarhus Denmarks second-largest city.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/jesper-mardahl-9859a13/

Timotheus Wiesmann (DE)

Managing Director, IHM Hamburg

Timotheus Wiesmann is managing director of the Hamburg Music Business Association (IHM) the network of Hamburgs music business. After completing his university degree in cultural and media studies in Düsseldorf and Nantes/France, working in Cardiff/Wales, and doing a masters degree in cultural and media management in Hamburg, Timotheus worked for music and cultural festivals for the KMM-Institute in Hamburg, and for the digital distributor finetunes.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/timotheus-wiesmann-362a8a75/

This seminar will be focusing on the connection between music business and higher music education. Representatives from Music Academies from Music Cities will discuss possibilities and obstacles in creating an international and entrepreneurial mindset amongst staff and student, in order to prepare students for sustainable careers.

Meet Keld Hosbond/Royal Academy of Music – Aarhus, Katharina Strauer/Hochschule für Musik & Theater – Hamburg & Dagfinn Bach/Universitetet i Bergen.

Keld Hosbond (DK)

Vice Principal, Royal Academy of Music - Aarhus

Keld Hosbond has degrees in Political Science from Aarhus University and in rhythmic music and trombone from Royal Academy of Music, Aarhus/Aalborg. Appointed Head of International Relations at RAMA in 2004, he has been initiating and managing major projects within internationalization of the Higher Music Education sector in Europe and globally. He has been a key figure in implementing curricular innovations at RAMA within the areas of Entrepreneurship & Distance Learning.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/keld-hosbond-2b86786/

Katharina Strauer (DE)

International Koordinator, Hochschule für Music und Theater - Hamburg

After working several years in a cultural center in Hamburg, Katharina Strauer managed a venue for children and young people. While studying at Hamburg University of Fine Arts, she specialized in print media and typography. After her diploma, she began a vocal training at a small private school and since 2009 Katharina Strauer has been working as an international coordinator at the Hamburg University of Music and Theater. The main focus of her current work is the combination of different artistic areas, bridging education from university to society and supporting student network initiatives.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/strauer-katharina-0933a312b/

Dagfinn Bach (NO)

Universitetet i Bergen

Dagfinn Bach is currently acting as adviser for international projects at the new Faculty of Fine Art, Music and Design of the University of Bergen. As one of the pioneers in the online music business working for Western Norway Research Institute (1986-1995), he became the leader of a cluster of very early pilot projects on MP3 in music production and distribution (1991-1993), digitisation of music archives (1992-1994), and one of the first mixed-mode audio/multimedia CD-ROMs in 1992. In 2007 he was one of the co-founders of the MPEG-7 technology company Bach Technology AS. From 2007 to 2015 he was acting as the R&D director, and since 2015, as the President of Bach Technology AS.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/dagfinn-bach-3b71909/