Nordischer Klang (English: Nordic Sound) is the largest festival of Nordic culture in Germany. It is a major platform for artists from Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden in Germany. The festival takes place in the town of Greifswald, which is situated about 200 km to the north of Germany's capital Berlin at the Baltic shore.
Nordischer Klang is organised by a non-profit society loosely associated with the Department of Nordic Studies at the University of Greifswald.
History The festival began in 1992 and has since then taken place every year. A wide range of activities is offered every year, covering the whole spectrum of culture in the form of live performances, exhibitions, shows, lectures and courses, e.g. about film, theatre, literature, social developments, comedy, and different types of music.
The festival is usually under the patronage of one politician from Germany and one from the Nordic countries.
2007 The 16th festival in 2007 was under the aegis of Harald Ringstorff (then governor of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern) and the Minister of Culture of Denmark.
2008 The 17th festival took place from 2 to 9 May under the patronage of Thorgerdur Katrín Gunnarsdóttir (Minister of Culture of Iceland). Among the performing guests were the Scandinavian Jazz stars Viktoria Tolstoy and LaGaylia Frazier.
2009 The 18th festival from 2 to 9 May was under the aegis of Erwin Sellering (the governor of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern) and Alexander Stubb (Minister of Foreign of Finland). Headliners were the Finnish singer Johanna Iivanainen, who played together with the saxophonist Eero Koivistoinen auftrat, the Marilyn Mazur Group and the sami singer Sofia Jannok. There were also different comic-exhibitions, amongst others drawings by Steffen Kverneland.
2010 The 19th festival took place from 6 to 15 May. It was under the patronage of Norway and Erwin Sellering (the governor of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern) and Alexander Stubb (Minister of Foreign of Finland). Highlights were the concerts of the Danish progressive/rock-band The Savage Rose, the Swedish entertainer Sylvia Vrethammar and the Valkyrien Allstars, a folk/pop-group from Norway.
2011 In 2011 the Nordischer Klang celebrated its 20th birthday from 5 to 15 May. Lena Adelsohn Liljeroth the Swedish Minister of Culture had the patronage. Great acts were the Elin Larsson Group (S), the Jan Lundgren Trio & LaGaylia (S/USA; Special guest: Lars Danielsson), a Danish pop-night with the bands Bird and Catbird, the Finnish Wimme Saari Group and the event "Universum" (universe) from Per Kirkeby.
2012 Under the motto "mächtig gewaltig" (mighty giant) the 21st Nordische Klang took place from 3 to 14 May under the patronage of Denmark's Minister of Culture Uffe Elbæk together with the Governor of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern Erwin Sellering. The Olsen Gang was in town, when Morten Grunwald alias Benny, the last living actor of the criminal trio, who showed together with the MDR-presenter Janine Strahl-Oesterreich a new Biographie of the Egon-actor Ove Sprogøe. Musical highlights were the Swedish jazz-trombonist Nils Landgren together with the NDR Bigband, the Polish-Danish pop group Czesław Śpiewa, the Norwegian EstherOrkester and the finish band The Irrationals. Even the founder of the avant-garde jazz in the former Soviet Union Wjatscheslaw Ganelin came to the festival with his trio Priority.
2013 Under the patronage of Iceland too the 22nd Nordischer Klang took place from 2 to 13 May. It was opened with the performance by the Icelandic artist Anna María Björnsdóttir. A special was a music video, which was produced for Greifswald. Kitty Von-Sometime made it with her Weird Girls Project. 14 young women were filmed in crazy costumes in Greifswald. Other highlights were the indie-night with Møll from Norway and Tilbury from Iceland, the Finnish pop-group Popband Mariska & Pahat Sudet and the debut of the blues singer Jes Holtsøs alias Börge, a former actor of the Olsen gang.
2014
The 23rd Nordischer Klang took place from May 2 to 12 under the patronage of Finnish Minister of Education Krista Kiuru and the Prime Minister of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Erwin Sellering. The festival opened with the German premiere of the symphonic jazz poem “Suomi” by Finnish composer Heikki Sarmanto and Swedish jazz musician Nils Landgren, who performed with the Vorpommern Philharmonic Orchestra.
Performers included the band Andalusian Conspiracy (N), the Gothenburg Gadjos (S), the Roger Berg Big Band (S) with their Polish guest jazz musician Soyka, the indie-jazz band Johanna Elina Group (FIN/DK), the pan-Nordic vocal ensemble IKI, the country-pop band The Bandettes (S), and the band Ted Glen Extended (N), which even celebrated its international debut.
As part of “Nordischer Klang’s” focus on Finland, Greifswald was selected as a satellite location for the Frankfurt Book Fair in 2014.
2015
The cultural festival took place for the 24th time from May 1 to 10. The Kingdom of Norway served as the festival’s patron. Performers included, for example, the Norwegian trio Gammalgrass, the post-rock band Róa—who were performing outside of Iceland for the first time—the “Folkhall” band Snakka San, and SVER. Jazz bassist Kristin Korb, who lives in Denmark, made her second appearance at the festival.
2016
From May 5 to 15, the festival celebrated its 25th anniversary. A special feature of the 2016 edition was that all five Nordic embassies in Berlin served as patrons. In addition, Greenland was the focus of one evening’s program. Musical highlights included the Danish Radio Big Band, the instrumental pop band Wintergatan (S), the ska-pop-rockers Razika (N), the bagpipe folk group Trad.Attack! (EST), the indie-electro band Vök (IS), jazz soloist Birgitte Soojin, the jazz-punk trio Mopo (FIN), and the world-famous tuba virtuoso Øystein Baadsvik (N), who was accompanied by the innovative orchestra Musika Vitae (S).
2017
Nordischer Klang took place from May 4 to 14 under the patronage of Alice Bah Kuhnke, Sweden’s Minister of Culture and Democracy, and Erwin Sellering, Minister-President of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. The festival’s headliner was Finnish accordion virtuoso Kimmo Pohjonen. Once again this year, Nordischer Klang offered a wide range of musical styles: from vocal folk hop by the Finnish girl band Tuuletar to alternative music by the Latvian project Kapl̩i, the Swedish jazz quartet led by composer Cennet Jönsson, the Vorpommern Philharmonic Orchestra with soloist Karen Dornbusch, the Greifswald University Symphony Orchestra with soloist Mika Seifert, Norwegian soul singer Lisa Nybrott, Estonian pianist Rein Rannap, the Krupka Trio from Norway, the Monday Night Big Band and Mimi Terris from Malmö, the Latin quartet led by Lázara Cachao and Edith Tamayo from Denmark, Cuba, and Mexico; the Icelandic electronic duo Rest in Beats; the girl band Echoes in Veil from Denmark; and even the Estonian folk-pop band Curly Strings and the soul-pop queen Miss Tati.
Exhibitions featured works by the Estonian artist Arne Maasik, Angelika Mousson from Bornholm, and the Danish artist Ken Denning.
In the Film section, the festival screened The Girl King by Mika Kaurismäki, The Other Side of Hope by Aki Kaurismäki, and Þrestir by Rúnar Rúnarsson.
The festival placed a special focus on comics and graphic novels. An information forum was held featuring Filippa Hella, Ola Hellsten, Annette Herzog, Espen K. Holtestaul, Kristian Krogh-Sørensen, Joachim Schiedermair, Øvind Vågnes, Nina Ernst, and Camilla Storskog.
The panel discussion on right-wing populism in Northern Europe was part of European Week. The mayor of Lund, Lennart Prytz, also addressed a similar topic in a lecture on democracy in the age of populism and elites.
The 100th anniversary of Finnish independence also left its mark on Nordischer Klang. Four events were dedicated to this occasion.
2018
The Nordic Sound festival took place from May 3 to 13 under the patronage of Estonian Minister of Culture Indrek Saar and Manuela Schwesig, Minister-President of the state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. The opening ceremony was held at the Theater Vorpommern in the presence of, among others, Mart Laanemäe, the Ambassador of the Republic of Estonia to Berlin, and former Federal President Joachim Gauck. The opening concert featured the 34-member Eesti Politsei- ja Piirivalveorkester (Estonian Police and Border Guard Orchestra), with singer Liisi Koikson, marking the largest guest ensemble in the festival’s history. Other performers included Tarabband and Frigg (Folk & World Music Night), the Marja Mortensson Trio and Vassvik (Sami joik), MiaMee and Opus (Electro Night), Sniksnak and Timshel (Indie Night), as well as Skenet (folk rock) and DoktorDoktor (hip-hop) at the closing celebration—each performing on a separate evening. On the final day, Andres Uibo gave an organ concert at St. Nikolai Cathedral.
2019
From May 3 to 13, the 28th edition of the music and culture festival took place on stages throughout Greifswald. Icelandic Prime Minister Katrín Jakobsdóttir served as patron alongside Manuela Schwesig, Minister-President of the state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. The lineup featured AyOwA, Broen, Moses Hightower, Sousou & Maher Cissoko, the Obi Trio feat. Denise Fontoura, Kajsa Balto, Sex Magick Wizards, Klaki, Ritva Nero, and Östblocket. Readings were given by Johan Harstad (Max, Mischa, and the Tet Offensive) and Johanna Sinisalo (Iron Sky: Renate and the Moon Nazis).
2020
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Nordischer Klang festival took place digitally from May 8 to 18. Danish Minister of Culture Joy Mogensen served as patron alongside Mecklenburg-Vorpommerns Minister-President Manuela Schwesig. Following the opening ceremony, which was broadcast on the festival’s YouTube channel, Karmen Rõivassepp performed alongside her bassist, Adrian Christensen. In the days that followed, digital living room concerts were held by the artists Sousou & Maher Cissoko Band, Jaqee and Band, Rosa Cruz of the Rosa Cruz Trio, Myrra Rós Þrastardóttir together with Júlíus Óttar Björgvinsson, Mall Girl, the ensemble La Récréation, and several others.
The festival was also enriched by messages from bassist Ida Hvid (Blonde Bass) and pianist Esa Ylönen, as well as from the Pomeranian State Museum. In addition, several interviews were published featuring artists such as the musicians from the band Isák, as well as sailmaker Sebastian Hentschel and Norwegian language instructor Arnt Sundstøl.
2021
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Nordischer Klang festival will be split into two parts and extended into the summer months. During the festival’s original dates, May 7–22, a virtual program featuring digital readings, colloquia, and concerts will be offered. On two weekends in July (July 23–25) and August (August 20–22), concerts will once again take place in Greifswald as part of open-air events. The festival is under the patronage of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern's Minister President Manuela Schwesig, together with a member of the Finnish government. In 2021, the festival celebrated its 30th anniversary.
2022
The 31st edition took place from May 2, 2022, to May 16, 2022. This year’s theme was the Åland Islands, featuring performances by Robert Zetterqvist & Quasimodo and Birdpeople, along with a cultural discussion on life and art in Åland and a panel discussion on the archipelago’s 100 years of autonomy.
2023