The International Music Instrumentmaker
Seminar of Norway - Fredrikstad - 2023 12 Oct - 15 Oct.
~ No instrumentmakerschool, no musicinstrumentmakers, no repairers, no restorers, no tuners, no music and dance ~
Seminar of Norway - Fredrikstad - 2023
12 Oct - 15 Oct.
~ No instrumentmakerschool, no musicinstrumentmakers, no repairers, no restorers, no tuners, no music and dance ~
We invite you to the 3rd Instrument Makers’ Seminar in modern times. The focus of this seminar will be to establish a vocational college for instrument making in Østfold and to safeguard the intangible cultural heritage that is vital to Norway’s music industry.
The town of Markneukirchen in Germany has been a center of musical instrument making since the 1630s. It is often referred to as “die Quelle des Musikinstrumentenbaus für die ganze Welt” — the source of musical instrument making for the entire world.
After the dissolution of the GDR severely impacted the local music industry, Markneukirchen and the region’s instrument makers have spent many years rebuilding their craft and community. Today, the area is nationally recognized as part of Germany’s intangible cultural heritage in the field of musical instrument making and related crafts. This status, granted through the German UNESCO Commission, acknowledges the tradition’s significant role in the country’s cultural heritage and future.
Stephan Voigt — Deputy Übermeister (Master Crafts Leader), Board Member of the Chamber of Crafts, City Council Representative, and master trombone maker in Markneukirchen — will share how this has been made possible.
Den immaterielle kulturarven, som vi her omtaler under begrepet Musikkinstrumentenes hus, omfatter instrumentbygging, musikere, musikkinstrumentmuseum, deleproduksjon, musikkbutikker, grossister, orkestre, skolekorps, akustikkmiljøer, utdanning, seminarer, festivaler, musikkonkurranser osv. Dette var for 30 år siden et levende og sammenkoblet økosystem — et faglig fellesskap som i dag er i ferd med å smuldre bort.
Over the past three and a half years, we have traveled across the Nordic and Baltic region to identify the remaining professionals connected to musical instruments, and to visit the wider industry — musicians, orchestras, concert halls, and more — to understand what is needed. We are now in the process of developing new curricula in order to establish an industry-driven Nordic, Baltic, and international educational institution, with a focus on safeguarding the remaining intangible cultural heritage within the musical instrument-making profession in Northern Europe.
The music industry in Germany is participating as a partner in this work. We believe that the only place where this can realistically be achieved is in Eastern Norway, most likely in Østfold. We have named the project “Recreating the House of Musical Instruments.”
The music industry will gather at this seminar, with participants including classical instrument makers, folk instrument makers, users, customers, and more.
All of our partners and associated partners are invited and will participate in this seminar. There will also be representatives from our client groups, including musicians, orchestras, music wholesalers, and others.
Program for the seminar, 12 October 2023 – 15 October 2023
Welcome!
Information – brief overview
Presentation of the participants
Establishment of a new international musical instrument making college in the Nordic region
The intangible cultural heritage of musical instruments
Markneukirchen
Establishing guilds – developing curricula – master craft education
Are traditional folk instruments becoming extinct?
Status report from Iceland, Sweden, Finland, the Baltic States and Norway
Dinner and social gathering
