NordSync Forum IV – Umeå

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UMEÅ | 24–26 April 2026

We are happy to invite performing artists, producers and cultural professionals to NordSync Forum IV – a Nordic meeting point for interdisciplinary concert production, collaboration and artistic development.

Over three days in Umeå we will gather artists from across the Nordics for:
• inspiring presentations & artistic talks
• workshops and creative labs
• networking and project matchmaking
• concerts and showcase formats

✨ Where creativity and community come together.

More Info coming soon.

#NordSync #NordSyncForum #Umeå #NordicCulture #PerformingArts #InterdisciplinaryArt #CreativeNetwork

Artistic Talk: Art, Activism & Authenticity

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Welcome to NordSync Online Seminar #9!

We are happy to invite you to our next NordSync Online Seminar, taking place on Saturday, January 31, 2026.
This session brings together artists working across disciplines, exploring how artistic integrity can be preserved and strengthened in today’s complex cultural and commercial landscape.

Ellen Margrethe Røhr-Staff (Norway)

Ellen Røhr-Staff is a contemporary dancer, choreographer, and an active member of Dansekunst i Østfold. She works as an artistic leader in several projects and is deeply engaged in developing new initiatives within the Norwegian dance scene.

Her artistic practice often exists at the intersection of art and activism, with a strong focus on human rights and mental health. Ellen currently collaborates with Direct Action Theater and T.I.T.S., and has long been committed to bringing dance closer to the public.
Since 2015, she has also worked extensively with young dancers and runs the regional youth company Østfold Dansekompani for Ungdom.

Topic: Artistic Talk: Art, Activism & Authenticity

Sophia Hugo Cabo (Norway)

Winner of NordSync’s open call to compose the missing movement for Mahler’s Piano Quartet

Sophia is a freelance cellist and co-founder of Scandi Strings, a Scandinavian string quartet consisting of classically trained musicians from Norway and Sweden.
Alongside orchestral work and her own concert series FRAM, Sophia is actively engaged in developing new concert formats. With Scandi Strings, she works across genres – from classical concerts to pop productions and events – integrating electronics, visuals, and tailored visual identities into each performance.

Her talk will focus on maintaining artistic authenticity in a commercialized entertainment world, and on how classical music can meaningfully exist and evolve within contemporary, visually driven contexts.

 Join us for an inspiring morning filled with ideas, creativity, and practical insights!
Saturday, 31 of January
10:00–12:00
Live on YouTube

Youth Orchestra Seminar – a core part of the NordSync model

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Fredrikstad & Sarpsborg | 24–25 January 2026

The Youth Orchestra Seminar is an important part of the NordSync model, which connects professional artistic production with education, voluntary cultural life, and future talent development.

During NordSync Forum – Østfold, a free orchestra seminar for children and youth takes place in Sarpsborg and Fredrikstad. Young musicians work side by side with professional artists from Norway, Sweden, and Finland through orchestral playing, ensemble work, and individual masterclasses.

The seminar combines classical repertoire and popular music in arrangements adapted to beginner and intermediate levels, and places strong emphasis on collaboration, inclusion, and a supportive social framework. It concludes with a public concert where young participants perform together with professional musicians.

By integrating education directly into professional productions, the seminar demonstrates how the NordSync model strengthens learning, artistic quality, and long-term cultural development.

Concerts during NordSync Forum – Østfold

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As part of NordSync Forum – Østfold, a series of public concerts will take place in Sarpsborg, Moss, and Fredrikstad, presenting the NordSync Lab production Den manglende satsen (The Missing Movement). The concerts form an integral part of the forum and demonstrate, in practice, how collaboration between professional artists, voluntary organisations, and young musicians can result in high-quality artistic productions.

A completed Mahler work

Den manglende satsen is a concert project in which Gustav Mahler’s unfinished Piano Quartet in A minor is presented as a complete three-movement work. Originally consisting of a single completed movement from 1876, the quartet was expanded with a second movement by Alfred Schnittke in 1988.

In 2025, NordSync Project initiated an open call for a new third movement. The selected composer, August Næss Jørgensen, has written a contemporary finale that brings the work to a coherent and modern conclusion.

Programme

  • Movement I – Gustav Mahler
  • Movement II – Alfred Schnittke (1988)
  • Movement III – August Næss Jørgensen (2025)

Performers

The work is performed by NordSync Ensemble, consisting of professional musicians from Norway, Sweden, and Finland:

  • Stepan Frolov – violin
  • Emma Alrikson – viola
  • Maria Serafin – cello
  • Viktor Pellia – piano

At the final concert, young musicians from Østfold will join the professionals on stage, following participation in the youth orchestra seminar organised in connection with the forum.

Concerts as artistic showcase

The concerts serve both as artistic highlights and as a showcase of the NordSync model, illustrating how interdisciplinary thinking, professional production frameworks, and voluntary cultural engagement can be combined into a shared artistic outcome.

Through these performances, audiences are invited to experience a rare repertoire in a new and holistic form, while also gaining insight into the collaborative processes that shape contemporary Nordic cultural projects.

Here are the links to Facebook events:

See you there!

NordSync Lab – Østfold

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A new third movement for Mahler’s Piano Quartet

Fredrikstad & Sarpsborg | 21–22 January 2026

NordSync Lab – Østfold is a central artistic component of NordSync Forum – Østfold, bringing together professional musicians and a composer from across the Nordic region for an intensive artistic laboratory focused on one core question:
How can an unfinished classical masterpiece be completed in a meaningful, contemporary way?

The Lab centres on Gustav Mahler’s Piano Quartet in A minor, a work that survives today as one completed movement from 1876, later complemented by a second movement composed by Alfred Schnittke in 1988. Through NordSync Lab, the quartet receives a newly composed third movement, written specifically for this project and developed in close collaboration between composer and performers.

The result of NordSync Lab – Østfold will be presented in three public concerts:

Together, these concerts form a regional mini-tour and a public showcase of the Lab’s artistic outcome.

About the Lab

NordSync Lab functions as a meeting point between composition, performance, reflection, and experimentation. During the Forum, the ensemble works intensively on the new third movement, exploring how historical material, modern compositional language, and contemporary performance practice can coexist within a unified artistic whole.

The Lab is not only a rehearsal space, but a collaborative process where artistic dialogue is central. The work culminates in live performances that present Mahler’s quartet as a complete, three-movement work for the first time in this form.

Participants

Emma Alrikson – viola (Sweden)

Emma Alrikson holds a Master’s degree from the Royal College of Music in Stockholm and is an active concert musician in Sweden, performing both as a violinist and violist. She recently appeared as soloist in Beethoven’s Violin Concerto with the Växjö Symphony Orchestra. Emma plays a viola made by Sweden’s most renowned instrument maker, Peter Westerlund.

Viktor Pellia – piano (Finland)

Pianist Viktor Pellia has lived in Finland since 2011. He has won numerous prizes in international competitions and has performed as a soloist and chamber musician in Finland, Norway, France, Germany, and Russia. As a soloist, he has appeared with orchestras such as the Karelian State Philharmonic Symphony Orchestra, Kuopio City Orchestra, Oulu City Orchestra, and Savonlinna Camerata. In addition to an active concert career, he works as an accompanist and is currently affiliated with the Tampere Conservatory of Music.

Maria Serafin – cello (Norway)

Maria Serafin grew up in a musical family on Nesodden, Norway, and began playing the cello at the age of ten at Barratt Due Institute of Music. She studied with Hans Josef Groh before continuing her education in Austria, first in Salzburg with Prof. Heidi Litschauer, and later in Graz, where she completed both bachelor’s and master’s degrees in performance and chamber music at the University of Music and Performing Arts Graz.

Maria has been a principal cellist at the Theatre in Graz and performed with ensembles such as Grazer Kammerorchester, Con fuoco, Wiener Bachsolisten, and Grazer Philharmonisches Orchester. After ten years in Austria, she has returned to Norway and now works as a freelance musician and pedagogue in Eastern Norway.

Stepan Frolov- violin (Norway)

Stepan holds a master’s degree from the Norwegian Academy of Music, where he studied with Professor Elise Båtnes. He has participated in numerous festivals as both a soloist and chamber musician. Stepan has had the honor of performing on a violin over 300 years old, on loan from the Royal Swedish Academy of Music in Stockholm.

August Næss Jørgensen – composer (Norway)

August Næss Jørgensen is a musician and composer from Nesna on the Helgeland coast of Norway. He has worked extensively as a performing musician and, in recent years, as a composer for theatre and film/video. After completing his academic degree in music, he developed a strong interest in film music. His work is inspired by composers such as Ramin Djawadi, Hans Zimmer, and Ludwig Göransson, and is characterised by organic sound colours combined with electronic elements and minimalist melodic structures.

From Lab to stage

NordSync Lab – Østfold demonstrates how new music can emerge from dialogue with the past, and how collaborative artistic processes can connect composers, performers, and audiences. Through its three concerts in Fredrikstad, Moss, and Sarpsborg, the Lab opens its work to the public and offers a rare opportunity to experience Mahler’s Piano Quartet as a completed, contemporary artistic statement.

NordSync Lab – Østfold is developed as part of NordSync Forum – Østfold, strengthening artistic exchange, interdisciplinary thinking, and Nordic collaboration.

NordSync Forum – Østfold

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Fredrikstad & Sarpsborg | 23–25 January 2026

NordSync Forum – Østfold is an international meeting place for performing artists, voluntary cultural organisations, and cultural professionals from across the Nordic region. The forum takes place in Fredrikstad and Sarpsborg and gathers participants from Norway, Sweden, Finland, and Åland for three days of knowledge exchange, artistic collaboration, and network building.

The forum is organised by NordSync Project in collaboration with Østfold Musikkforening and partners, and combines professional seminars, workshops, concerts, and educational activities for children and youth.

New partner

The forum is organised by NordSync Project in collaboration with Østfold Musikkforening and partners, and combines professional seminars, workshops, concerts, and educational activities for children and youth.

Focus and objectives

The main theme of NordSync Forum – Østfold is collaboration between voluntary cultural organisations and professional artists. Through lectures, discussions, and practical work, participants explore how cultural organisations can develop their activities, reach new audiences, and strengthen their role by working more closely with professional artists.

A key focus of the forum is interdisciplinarity – how music, visual art, film, and other art forms can be combined to create new artistic expressions and open new possibilities for cooperation, production, and audience development.

Activities during the forum

Lectures and professional sessions
The forum includes lectures and presentations focusing on interdisciplinarity, artistic development, and sustainable collaboration models between voluntary and professional cultural actors.

NordSync Lab – artistic workshops
Professional musicians and artists participate in NordSync Lab workshops, where practical artistic work is combined with discussion and reflection. During the forum, the workshops focus on developing and finalising the NordSync Lab production Den manglende satsen.

Networking and dialogue
Structured networking sessions provide time and space for dialogue, experience sharing, and planning of future collaborations – both within Østfold and across national borders.

Panel discussion
A panel discussion brings together leaders of voluntary cultural organisations, cultural workers, and artists to discuss opportunities for cultural cooperation in Østfold, new project ideas, and potential partners in the Nordic region and beyond.

Concerts and showcase performances
Several concerts take place during the forum, including showcase performances demonstrating how collaboration between voluntary organisations and professional artists can be realised in practice.

Youth orchestra seminar
As part of the forum, a free orchestra seminar for children and youth is organised in Sarpsborg. Young musicians work together with professional instructors from Norway, Sweden, and Finland and conclude the seminar by performing together with professionals in a public concert.

A meeting place for future collaboration

NordSync Forum – Østfold is designed as both a professional arena and a social meeting place. By bringing together artists, organisers, educators, and cultural leaders, the forum aims to strengthen regional and Nordic networks, support new artistic initiatives, and contribute to long-term collaboration and planning for the 2025–2026 season and beyond.

 The full programme for NordSync Forum – Østfold

NordSync Forum – Østfold (Program)Download

Welcome to NordSync Online Seminar #8!

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We’re excited to invite you to our next session, featuring two inspiring voices from the Nordic music scene.

Eline Moe Melgalvis (Norway)

Topic: “How to Create Your Dream Projects”

Eline Moe Melgalvis has extensive experience shaping the next generation of musicians and cultural entrepreneurs. She has led the entrepreneurship programme at the Barratt Due Institute of Music, developing masterclasses, workshops, and training for young performers and concert organizers.

Today, Eline works with funding, development, and long-term strategy for Norway’s classical music sector through Dextra Musica and Sparebankstiftelsen DNB.

  • Dextra Musica owns one of the world’s finest collections of string instruments and produces 200–300 masterclasses and concerts annually.
  • Sparebankstiftelsen DNB supports a wide range of cultural initiatives across genres throughout Norway.

In this seminar, Eline will share practical tools, insights, and strategies on how musicians can build sustainable artistic projects — from idea to reality.

August Næss Jørgensen (Norway)

Winner of NordSync’s open call to compose the missing movement for Mahler’s Piano Quartet

August Næss Jørgensen is a musician and composer from Nesna in Helgeland. He has spent several years working as a performing artist and, in recent years, has composed music for theatre and film/video. After completing his academic degree in music, he developed a deep fascination for film scoring.

August draws inspiration from composers such as Ramin Djawadi, Hans Zimmer, and Ludwig Göransson. His works are often characterized by organic sound colours blended with electronic elements, all tied together by minimalist melodic structures.

In this seminar, August will talk about his artistic process, the creation of his new third movement for Mahler’s unfinished Piano Quartet, and his broader approach to composition and musical storytelling.

 Join us for an inspiring morning filled with ideas, creativity, and practical insights!
Saturday, 13 December
10:00–12:00
Live on YouTube

WE HAVE A WINNER! – Congratulations to August Næss Jørgensen 

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We are delighted to announce that August Næss Jørgensen is the winner of NordSync’s composition call “The Missing Movement” – a project inviting young composers to create a new third movement for Gustav Mahler’s unfinished Piano Quartet in A minor.

We received several strong and imaginative submissions, but August’s work stood out for its clear artistic identity, deep understanding of Mahler’s musical language, and a distinctive originality that impressed the entire jury. We are incredibly excited to share his music with audiences soon!

World Premiere – Week 4, 2026
August’s new movement will be performed alongside Mahler’s original movement and Alfred Schnittke’s 1980s reconstruction. This concert series will present a unique artistic dialogue between three composers across generations.

Concerts are planned in:

Fredrikstad
Moss
(possibly) Sarpsborg
Final dates will be announced shortly!

The music will be performed by NordSync Ensemble, featuring professional musicians from Østfold and the Nordic network.

 About the Composer – August Næss Jørgensen

August Næss Jørgensen is a musician from Nesna in Helgeland. He has worked for several years as a performing artist and, in recent years, has also composed music for theatre and film/video. After completing his academic degree in music, he developed a strong fascination for film scoring.

August draws inspiration from composers such as Ramin Djawadi, Hans Zimmer and Ludwig Göransson. His compositions are often characterized by organic sound colours blended with electronic elements, tied together through minimalist melodic structures.

Stay tuned – this will be a concert series exploring the boundaries between reconstruction, contemporary creation, and classical heritage.

Once again, congratulations to August! We are incredibly proud to present a new artistic voice through this project.

#NordSync #TheMissingMovement #Mahler #Schnittke #NordicContemporaryMusic #WorldPremiere #NewVoices #ØstfoldCulture

“INSIDE THE PROCESS: SOUND, STORY & ACCESSIBILITY”

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 NordSync Online Seminar #7 
We’re excited to welcome you to our seventh online seminar!
Join us 29 November, 10:00–12:00 (Oslo time) on YouTube:

This edition brings together two inspiring artistic perspectives: one from the world of film and concert composition, and one from a trio redefining what classical music can be today.

Miquel De Jorge Artells (Spain)

Composer for film and concert music • Violinist

Miquel works in both the audiovisual and classical music worlds, creating scores for film, television, and concert performance. His talk —
“Inside the Process: Creating Music for Visual Media and the Concert Stage” —
will take us behind the scenes of his creative workflow:
how ideas form, how sound and image influence one another, and how musical language shifts depending on whether it is written for a screen or a concert hall.

Trio no Treble (Norway)

Featuring:
• Eivind Rossbach Heier
• Jostein Bolås Brødreskift

Trio no Treble is an unconventional string trio consisting of viola, cello, and double bass. With a warm, rich sound and a playful artistic identity, the trio focuses on making classical music open and engaging for audiences of all ages.
They collaborate across genres — from folk and jazz to pop, contemporary music, theatre, and more — creating concerts filled with creativity, humour, and storytelling.

Trio no Treble – How to Make Classical Music Accessible for Everyone”

 Don’t miss this inspiring session on composition, communication, and opening classical music to new audiences — live from the NordSync network!

Date: 29.11.2025
Time: 10:00 (Oslo time)
Online: https://www.youtube.com/live/uzhfrHsmyLc?si=_jRhbl8ih_oPW2LM

Follow us for updates and the streaming link!

NordSync Project is a network for musicians and other performing artists in the Nordic-Baltic region. We particularly emphasize collaborative musical productions that integrate with various genres of performing arts.