Nordic Orchestra Conference 2026

We are pleased to welcome you to the Nordic Orchestra Conference 2026, which is hosted by Kilden Performing Arts Centre and the Association of Norwegian Theatres and Orchestras (NTO), in collaboration with the Nordic Planning Committee.

The Nordic Orchestra Conference (NOC) has a long tradition as an important meeting place where managing and artistic directors of the Nordic music and opera institutions have established contacts, strengthened connections and exchanged valuable experiences and knowledge.

With this year’s conference we aim to combine inspiration and new perspectives with ideas and knowledge that the participants can take back to their own organisations.

The programme is developed around the following three themes:

• The Nordic Region Today
• Programming, Public Responsibility and Institutional Resilience
• Inclusion, Diversity and Mental Health

Practical information:

Time: Wednesday 23rd – Friday 25^th September 2026, lunch-to-lunch
Place: Kilden Performing Arts Center (the Theater and Opera hall), Sjølystveien 2, Kristiansand, Norway

CONFERENCE REGISTRATION by September 9
Fee: 580 EUR
Early Bird Fee: 495 EUR (deadline: May 29)

Hotel: Rooms have been reserved at Clarion Hotel Ernst.
Book your room here by August 23 to receive the conference rate of NOK 997 per night. Rooms are limited and available on a first-come, first-served basis.

Themes

The Nordic Region Today

What does it mean to be “Nordic” today — artistically, politically and institutionally — and how does this identity affect the strategic role of the music institutions in the society? How is the sector addressing indigenous perspectives, minority cultures and broader cultural representation? And why should we strengthen the Nordic cultural cooperation?

Programming, Public Responsibility and Institutional Resilience

How do music institutions interpret their role and mandate in society, and how is this reflected in programming, partnerships and public engagement? Can artistic programming contribute to civic resilience, and how is this realized in practice?

Inclusion, Diversity and Mental Health
Building on the Nordic context and Kilden's recognized expertise, this track explores how strategic work in inclusion, diversity, co-creation and mental health can position orchestras as proactive and relevant institutions in a changing society.

Programme

Download the programme here.

Wednesday 23rd of September

11:00-12:00 Registration and coffee (Kilden foyer)

12:00-13:00 Lunch (Frihavn Restaurant, Kilden)

13:00-13:15 Welcome (the Theater and Opera Hall)

• Pål Svendsberget, Managing Director, Kristiansand Symphony Orchestra, Kilden

• Morten Gjelten, Managing Director, Association of Norwegian Theatres and Orchestras
  
  
• Elisabeth Lindland, Conference Host, Kilden

13:15-14:35 The Nordic region today

• 13:15-13:45 Culture shapes the future of the Nordics:
  Kristin Danielsen, Chief Executive, The Nordic Culture Fund

15:15-15:30 Break

15:30-17:00 Inclusion, diversity and mental health

• 15:30-16:05 Kilden Dialogue: The Concert Hall as an Extended Therapeutic Space:
  • The collaboration between Kristiansand Symphony Orchestra and Sørlandet Hospital:
    Marie T. Sørensen, Head of Communications, Kilden and Iris Anette Olsen, Head of the Department of Child and Adolescent Mental Health (ABUP), Sørlandet Hospital
    
  • Requiem for Life: How Mozart’s iconic Requiem became a voice for young people’s mental well-being:
    Audhild Wessman, Senior Advisor, Kilden
  • How participation in cultural projects can support young people’s mental health:
    Eva Mari Andreassen, Head of Research, Kilden
• 16:05-17:00 Case studies:
  • How the Aalborg-based foundation works to integrate art and culture into healthcare:
    KulturKRAFT: Nord: Andreas Mathew and Per Thorgaard.
    The foundation builds collaborations between artists, researchers and health professionals to strengthen patient experience, wellbeing and aesthetic care in hospital settings.
    
  • Patient experience, integrative oncology and wellbeing in cancer care:
    Geraldine (Geri) McDonald, Associate Professor and Director of Patient Experience & Wellbeing, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre in Melbourne, Australia

19:00 Aperitif (foyer)

19:30 Conference dinner: Frihavn Restaurant, Kilden

Thursday 24th of September

08:30-09:00 Coffee (foyer)

09:00-12:00 The Voice of the Art Institution (the Theater and Opera Hall)

• 09:00-09:20 The role of orchestras in war and peace: Music as Preparedness:
  Bjarte Riseng, Chief Master Sergeant, Norwegian Armed Forces Music
• 09:20-09:50 Programming, Public Responsibility and Institutional Resilience:
  Keynote by Jesús Herrera, Artistic Director, London Philharmonic Orchestra
• 09:50-10:05 The Concert as Artistic Expression (working title):
  Jakob Holtze, Artistic Director & CEO, Copenhagen Phil
• 10:05-10:30 Panel discussion between Herrera, Holtze and Riseng
  Moderator: Ragnar Christensen, CEO, Stavanger Symphony Orchestra

10:30-10:45 Break

• 10:45-11:30 Group work, followed by plenary session

10.30-11.30 Parallel session: communications

11:30-12:30 Lunch (Frihavn Restaurant, Kilden)

12:30-14:15 Reframing Nordic Identity

From Words to Action – Reconciliation Work in the Nordic Region:

• 12:30-13:00 Keynote by Frank Jørstad, Artistic and Managing Director, Kvääniteatteri
• 13:00-13:10 Helle Solberg, CEO, Norrlandsoperan
• 13:10-13:20 Trud Berg, CEO, Arctic Philharmonic
• 13:20-14:05 Nordic Perspectives:
  Panel discussion between Jørstad, Solberg and Berg
  
  

14:05-14:40 Break

14:40-14:55 Artistic interlude

14:55-15.20 The Voice of the Art Institution - Institutions in Changing Times
Marte Cecilie Wilhelmsen Solheim, Vice-Rector for Innovation and
Society, University of Stavanger

15:20-15:30 Concert pretalk
Pål Svendsberget, Managing Director, Kristiansand Symphony Orchestra

17:30-19:30 Dinner: Hos Moi, Nodeviga 2

20:00-21:15 Concert: Still life - A Nordic Art Symphony Project
Kristiansand Symphony Orchestra, Eivind Gullberg-Jensen, conductor,
Mari Eriksmoen, soprano

21:15 Optional social gathering: tba.

Friday 25th of September

09:30-10:00 Coffee

10:00-11:45 The Nordic region today: Collaboration and communication (the Theater and Opera Hall)

• 10:00-10:10 Branding film from the Norwegian orchestra network for marketing and communications:
  Pål Svendsberget, Kilden
• 10:10-10:40 Collaboration or competition?
  Eivind Gullberg-Jensen, Artistic Director of Bergen National Opera
• 10:40-11:00 Collaboration in the Nordic Region:
  Conversation between Gullberg-Jensen and Catharina Bilsbak, Artistic and Managing Director, Aalborg Symphony Orchestra

11:00-11:15 Break

• 11:15-11:45 Group work: Collaboration between institutions – Who loses and who wins?
  Using reflection starters from the reflection booklet. We collect data from various ticketing systems for co-productions and present our findings

• Morten Gjelten, Managing Director, Association of Norwegian Theatres and Orchestras
• Guðni Tómasson, Managing Director, Iceland Symphony Orchestra

12:00-13:00 Lunch (foyer)