Northern Connection is a new and innovative project that aims to connect Nordic countries and Scotland by establishing and strengthening liaisons between composers, ensembles and festivals in contemporary music.

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Northern Connection started in 2023 with the main partner countries Finland, Norway and Scotland. In 2024, the project continues with Iceland and Denmark joining. Northern Connection is initiated and led by Music Finland.

Each country’s selected commission will be performed by one of the ensembles at a festival in at least one of the partner countries, and possibly more, during 2023 and the following years.

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"It's been a pleasure to plan a new type of cooperation with our northern partners. It's especially gratifying to have Scotland with us in the project. Everyone is excited to join in and inquiries have already come in about when the project will expand and whether we can add more partners to the Northern Connection network," says Heli Lampi, Music Finland's Head of Communications and Promotion.
 

Northern Connection is built on the principles of sustainable development and ecological awareness, and it enables the creation of long-term cooperative relationships between contemporary music professionals in northern countries. The commissioned works will get more than one performance and the ensembles will tour in the partner festivals in an environmentally sustainable way.

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In this programme, composers will get new commissions, ensembles will get new material for their repertoire and festivals will get new programme from the neighbouring countries – which is sustainable and financially wise. New contacts, ideas and networks will strengthen co-operation and bring additional value to the contemporary art field in the northern area.​