Tallinn Music Week 2023 attracted over 18,000 visitors to Tallinn
Last week's Tallinn Music Week (TMW) drew 18,032 visitors to the Estonian capital, organizers say.
Running from May 10-14, this was the 15th edition of TMW, and the week hosted 188 artists from 41 countries, as well as 173 conference speakers, and 1,212 music and culture industry professionals from all over the world.
Organizers say the highlights included keynotes and discussions on digital innovation and AI, as well as an interview with Ed O'Brien of veteran U.K. rock act Radiohead, on the importance of civic engagement and sustainability for musicians.
New "glocal" [sic] identities were also on the agenda, as was climate change as recounted by indigenous inuit artists.
Venues included Tallinn Art Hall's Lasnamäe Pavilion, the Telliskivi Creative City (Loomelinnak), Noblessner Port, the Kopli district of Tallinn, and needless to say the dreaming spires and cobbled streets of the chocolate box, UNESCO-listed Old Town.
Specific acts included percussionist Arsenal Mikebe (Uganda), London-based hyper-pop artist and Keychange talent Pyra and Swedish pop's wunderkind Graham Lake.
Local talent represented included the Estonian Academy of Music and Theatre Choir, which premiered six new works by young composers, and jazz stars Kadri Voorand and Mingo Rajandi, the latter a double bassist, as well as classically trained, R&B-influenced singer Maria Kallastu (pictured).
The accompanying two-day conference was addressed via video link by European Commission Director for Culture, Creativity and Sport Georg Häusler, and in person by Minister of Culture Heidy Purga (Reform), herself a well-known DJ, and TMW Director Helen Sildna.
Attended by 1,212 music and culture industry professionals, the event hosted the opening dialogue "The age of ecosystems — how to further develop a sustainable European music ecosystem in transition?"
The art program featured a gallery tour hosted by the Estonian Contemporary Art Development Center as well as complex sound art exhibitions within the context of the art festival "I Don't Understand," plus light installations by the students of the Estonian Academy of Arts (EKA).
Over 30 restaurants in the TMW Tastes selection provided sustenance, while TMW's green tours and community discussions were supported by Tallinn — European Green Capital 2023.
Next year's TMW is scheduled earlier in the year, April 3-7, 2024.
TMW 2024 artist applications open next Monday, May 22.
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Editor: Andrew Whyte
Source: TMW