"What now?! In Search of Tomorrow's Relevance" was the topic of the pandemic-induced first digital edition of the Musikkonferenz held by the 12 and November 13, 2020.

In panels, online speed dating, workshops and discussion rounds, in an exchange of participation, personal networking and top-class keynote speeches, 212 participants and speakers from the music industry in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Italy and Benelux dealt with the highly topical conference theme. Protagonists from culture, research, creative industries and politics were invited as speakers, Andrea Thilo moderated the conference.

With them were:

Folkert Uhde, concert designer

Barbara Hannigan, soprano and conductor

Prof. John Sloboda, Research Professor at Guildhall School/Founding Director Institute for Social Impact Research in the Performing Arts

Andrea Thilo, journalist and moderator

Dr. Carsten Brosda, Senator of the Ministry of Culture and Media Hamburg

Prof. Holger Noltze, music journalist, author, Professor of Music and Media at the TU Dortmund University of Technology

Prof. Jutta Toelle, Professor of Applied Musicology at the Gustav Mahler Private University of Music in Klagenfurt

Lorina Strange, Impromptu Orchestra

Juri de Marco, impromptu orchestra

Julian Rieken, betterconcerts.org

Kai-Michael Hartig, Head of the Culture Division Körber Foundation

Elia Rediger, composer

Hiromi Gut, Founder and Artistic Director guerillaclassics.org

Christiane Peitz, cultural journalist

Prof. Martin Zierold, Head of the Institute for Culture and Media Management at the Hamburg University of Music and Drama

Kirsten Dawes, Pierre Boulez Hall Berlin

All discussion panels, best practices, keynotes and commentaries from the conference can be found on our Youtube channel.