The UK’s largest contemporary music festival Hcmf// (Huddersfield Contemporary Music Festival) and the Estonian Contemporary Music Center signed a cooperation agreement, with which Estonia will be the focus country of the festival for three years from 2025.
“The most significant collaboration in Estonian contemporary music in recent years is undoubtedly the partnership with the Huddersfield Contemporary Music Festival. This unique opportunity allows us to integrate the finest of Estonian contemporary music into a network of the world’s top performers, providing a tremendous creative boost for everyone involved. It also serves as a direct investment to enhance the export of contemporary Estonian music,” said Taavi Kerikmäe, head of the Estonian Contemporary Music Center.
“I am thrilled to announce today the partnership between Hcmf// and the Estonian Center for Contemporary Music. This exciting collaboration, which has been in the works for some time, will bring a rich and diverse selection of Estonian artists working in all genres of new music to the UK, while also offering British artists new opportunities to present their work in Estonia,” said Hcmf// artistic director Graham McKenzie.
“Estonian contemporary music is of a very high standard and internationally recognized. It has opened many doors for us and serves as an important tool for cultural diplomacy. The cooperation agreement being finalized is a testament to our long-term, goal-oriented efforts to internationalize culture, and it will further enhance the cooperation and cultural exchange between Estonia and the United Kingdom,” said Ivo Lille, music adviser to the Ministry of Culture.
Starting in 2025, this partnership will provide Estonian composers and musicians with the opportunity to develop networks, create new collaborative relationships, and have their works showcased on the international stage. In turn, British artists will have the chance to perform for Estonian audiences and collaborate with their Estonian counterparts.