Nordtrad Master Seminar
Femdagars engelskspråkigt seminarium för folkmusikstudenter i Nordtrad – med fokus på gemenskap och inspiration.
Five-day English seminar for Nordtrad folk music students – focused on community and inspiration.
När: 24-28 september
Var: KMH
Invitation to the Nordtrad Master Seminar!
Welcome to a five-day seminar for folk music master’s students at KMH in Stockholm, 24th-28th of September 2025!
The Nordtrad network has, since the 1990s, united folk music higher education programmes in the Nordic and Baltic countries. Complementing the annual Nordtrad intensive course, this seminar invites folk music master's students from these regions. It provides an opportunity to meet, network, and present ongoing work, projects, and research. The seminar is also open to doctoral students, master's alumni, researchers, and faculty involved in master's programmes. It aims to enhance collaboration, education, and artistic research in folk music throughout the Nordtrad network.
The seminar will start on the afternoon of the 24th and finish before lunch on the 28th and include:
- Presentations by participants
- Lectures and workshops led by experienced artistic researchers
- Concerts
- Networking in smaller groups
Programme
Wednesday 24 September
| Time | Activity | Location |
|---|---|---|
14:00 | Registration | Nathan Milsteinsalen |
15:15-16:00 | Welcome meeting and Information | Nathan Milsteinsalen |
16:30-17:30 | KEYNOTE by Susanne Rosenberg: From Procrastination to Flow, the Loop of Artistic Process Moderator: Olof Misgeld | Nathan Milsteinsalen |
17:30 | Folk Music Pub | Restaurant Oktav |
Thursday 25 September
Time | Activity | Location |
|---|---|---|
9:30-10:30 | KEYNOTE by Sven Ahlbäck: Foot tapping in asymmetrical polska – the ”map” and the ”territory”. Moderator: Susanne Rosenberg | Lilla salen |
10:45-12:15 | Session 1, Moderator: Benjamin Bøgelund Bech
Gard Nergaard: New spaces in musical interplay: Accompanying hardanger fiddle tunes on pedal steel
Ingrid Aase Lingaas Fossum: Langeleik: A monochordic instrument in ensembles
Mona Fallahamoli: Developing Improvisation Skills in Persian Music: Tradition, Innovation, and Cross-Cultural Collaboration | Lilla salen |
12:15-13:30 | Lunch | |
13:30-15:00 | Session 2, Moderator: Annika Myllari
Mari Meentali: Vocal-Style Imitation of Folk Chorales on the Estonian Bagpipe
Annika Hammer: Is there a shortcut to illumination? | Lilla salen |
15:30-17:00 | Session 3, POSTERS. Moderator Susanne Rosenberg
Per Åsmund Omholt: New tunes on the "Sjøfløyte"
Benjamin Bøgelund Bech: Tradition - A hindrance for artistic development or stepping stone for new creativity?
Olof Misgeld et al.: MusicDance Mediations
Sven Ahlbäck, Susanne Rosenberg, Olof Misgeld et al.: Den okvantiserade människan
Maria Misgeld: Vocal Oral Arranging and Composition
Bjørnhild Eskeland Wesenberg: Tune variants as creative potential: On the tune as a room for possibilities in a social dance context
Unni Løvlid: Your tonality is not my tonality - meetings between the performer, the composer and the (micro)tonality
Mats Johansson: Intonation Practices in Scandinavian Traditional Music – Towards an Alternative Analytical Framework Katariin Raska: The music of Estonian bagpipes in the setting of improvised music.
Marion Selgall: Improving Singing Skills via Folk Songs
Jonas Simonson: Improvisation and Composition in Nordic Folk Music Practice | Lilla salen The Foajé |
19:00 | Concert Musicians: Åsmund Soldal, Ruusu Saksio, Alexandra Nilsson, Hanna Miina Kivisäk, Per Åsmund Omholt, Jonas Eskeland, Unni Løvlid, Elizabeth Gaver and Jon Hjellum Brodal | Nathan Milsteinsalen |
Friday 26 September
Time | Activity | Location |
|---|---|---|
9:30-10:30 | KEYNOTE by Olof Misgeld: Hearing Movement, Seeing Music. Moderator: Sven Ahlbäck | Nathan Milsteinsalen |
10:45-12:15 | Session 4, Moderator: Karoliina Kreintaal
Brett Hiiob: Seto Traditional Violin Playing in the Beginning of the 20th Century
Elizabeth Gaver: Music for medieval fiddles in Norway: (Re)construction and performance practice
Silje Solberg: Old style bowing in "runddans" in hardanger fiddle | Nathan Milsteinsalen |
12:15-13:30 | Lunch | |
13:30-15:00 | Session 5, Moderator: Jonas Simonson
Marta Paula Pauliņa: Reviving a Forgotten Voice: Marija Gubene’s Choral Folk Song Arrangements in Latvian Music History
Ninos Yousef: Maqam for the Nineveh Fast in the Chaldean Eastern Church in Iraq Musical Analysis, Music Notation, and Composition Inspired by These Melodies, Along with a Solo Performance in My Own Style
Ingrid Standal Sørheim: The Norwegian Melodeon: Out in the World and Back | Nathan Milsteinsalen |
15:30-17:00 | Session 6, Moderator: Unni Lövlid
Hanna Miina Kivisäk: Analysis of Estonian Fiddling Singers’ Playing Style Based on Archive Recordings and Interpretation Today
Alexandra Nilsson: Swedish Trad Tunes on the Cello
Jon Hjellum Brodal: Traces of tunes | Nathan Milsteinsalen |
19:00 | Concert Musicians: Ingrid Aase Ingaas Fossum , Jon Hjellum Brodal, Bjørnhild Eskeland Wesenberg, Ninos Yousef, Gard Nergaard, Annie Engvall, Ingrid Standal Sørheim, Annika Hammer, Mari Meentalo and Jonas Simonson | Nathan Milsteinsalen |
Saturday 27 September
| Time | Activity | Location |
|---|---|---|
10:00-12:15 | Session 7, PhD Students, Moderator: Sven Ahlbäck
Gro Marie Svidal: Tryllespel
Sarah-Jane Summers: Cross-Pollination
Marcelo Chacur Politano: Composing for Intercultural Instrumentation: Idiomatic and Idiosyncratic Resources | Nathan Milsteinsalen |
12:15-13:30 | Lunch | |
13:30-15:00 | Session 8, Moderator: Cätlin Mägi
Annie Engvall: Deconstructing Limerence
Kuisma Asikainen: Queering folk songs: traditional songs and queer activism in Finland
Tarmo Noormaa: In Search of Authenticity: Reviving the Teppo-Type Lõõtspill, 1990 – 2025 | Nathan Milsteinsalen |
15:30-17:00 | Session 9, Moderator: Per Åsmund Omholt
Jonas Eskeland, Picking roots for modern instrumental performance
Åsmund Soldal: The drum music can rise again
Laris D'hose: Adapting Hardanger Fiddle Techniques to Double Bass Bowing | Nathan Milsteinsalen |
| 19:00 | Dinner at Bishops Arms, Gamla Stan Contact person: Olof Misgeld Note: Menu will be sent out by email one week before to collect your orders. | Tyska Brinken 36 Gamla Stan / Old Town |
Sunday 28 September
Time | Activity | Location |
|---|---|---|
10:00-12:15 | Group sessions Teachers and student groups. Takeaways and further developments. | 4415, 4416, 4421, 4522, 4523, 4525 |
12:15 | End of the Nordtrad Master Seminar |
Download the full seminar programme with abstracts (PDF) pdf, 901.2 kB.
Information for participants
Ethics: The Nordtrad master seminar offers an opportunity to benefit and learn from sharing ongoing work, ideas, perspectives and developments. We expect, respect, and welcome a variety in the forms of presentations by participants hoping that the seminar will reflect a diversity of folk music master studies in our network.
Sessions: participants are asked to present 20 minutes each which will be followed by a 30 minutes shared discussion including all presentations.
Lunch: You can buy meals and snacks in KMHs restaurant Oktav and/or bring food to heat in the student canteen.
Concert Information: Details on concert preparations will be sent out separately by email.
CALL
We invite you to share and present ongoing or completed master's student projects, doctoral projects, and artistic research projects on folk music and traditional music (including non-western art music), conducted within Nordic and Baltic higher music education.
Participants will be asked to present their work in the following format:
- Presentation (20 minutes), that can include both oral and musical performance. This is recommended for current master’s students.
- Poster featuring a 5-minute oral pitch. This option is specifically aimed at master’s alumni.
You also have the option to take part in a shared concert (up to 10 minutes per participant).
To join, please send in a short abstract (200–300 words) by May 15, 2025
SELECTION
We will select participants based on the submitted abstracts and look forward to welcoming participants from all different schools in the Nordtrad network! We aim to provide the opportunity for as many students as possible to participate and will prioritize current ongoing master's student projects.
SCHOLARSHIP for STUDENTS
Nordtrad offers a limited number of scholarships (15-16) worth € 580 for non- Swedish master's students to cover travel and expenses. The scholarships will be allocated to encourage participation from as many countries as possible.
For information on the distribution of Nordtrad Scholarships, please refer to your local Nordtrad representative. Link to the NordPlusMusic network Länk till annan webbplats.
Teachers and/or doctoral students are encouraged to use ERASMUS+ or other funding opportunities.
Please refer to our international coordinator Malin Ahlén, international@kmh.se
COSTS
The seminar is free, but participants must arrange their own food and accommodation.
We are excited to welcome you to Stockholm in September 2025!
/Olof Misgeld and Susanne Rosenberg.