“It is part of our philosophy to reflect the entire cultural heritage of Northern Norway.”

In a lecture hall, Colm O’Herlihy, the Irish founder of Inni Music in Iceland, has just emphasized the importance of cultivating one’s uniqueness in the global music industry. (Later, he’ll honor his own roots by singing Enya in front of an enthusiastic karaoke crowd.)

Peter Hauptmann agrees with Colm:

– There’s a special vibe here in the north, and we want to highlight it and make the most of it.


Ulla-Stina Wiland is the director of the Northern Norwegian Jazz Center in Bodø.

– It is part of our philosophy to reflect the entire cultural heritage of Northern Norway. That is why Arctic Pulse is so important to us. Together, we can reinforce the idea of being part of a Nordic context where languages and cultures have never been limited by national borders.

Among the many collaborations that have emerged during the project, she particularly recalls a jam session in Pajala, where musicians from different countries came together and quickly found common ground. Tonight, she is looking forward to sharing a similar experience with the Finnish audience when the Nordnorsk Jazzensemble performs its Kven concert, *Kaipu*, at the Valve Cultural Center.

“For the Norrlands Opera, it’s natural to work across borders,” says CEO Helle Solberg, who drove here in her own car to participate in the project’s steering committee meeting and see the Sámi opera Ovllá.

“In the Arctic region, we have to deal with enormous distances, and sometimes it’s actually closer to a city in a neighboring country,” she points out.

The steering committee met in Oulu.

The network offers opportunities to organize effective tours, establish a pool of musicians for orchestras in the region, and share responsibility for supporting and promoting culture in the north. This work is particularly important in relation to the endangered minority languages in the region, but also for strengthening new generations of musicians and event organizers.


A recent example is the Finland tour in February, which the Norrlandsoperan Symphony Orchestra undertook with soloists Katarina Barruk and Hildá Länsman. Another example is the focus on young artists, with the Umeå bands Marlin and Deppa participating in the Norwegian festival Rallarrabalder in Narvik.

“Together with our partners, we want to continue this work and create better conditions for artists to pursue their careers over the long term,” says Helle.

The next day, the conference participants head out onto the archipelago ice near the seaside resort of Nallikari, where the fifth edition of Frozen People is taking place—a festival featuring electronic music and temporary art installations.

The frosty mist blurs the horizon and blends with the glow of the sunset. Music thumps from the speakers. We dance in front of the illuminated lighthouse.

Text: Hanna Kangassalo
Photo: Jaakko Jylhä

“It’s part of our ethos to reflect the full breadth of Northern Norway’s cultural heritage.”

In one of the auditoriums, Colm O’Herlihy, the Irish founder of Inni Music in Iceland, has just reminded the audience of the importance of cultivating one’s distinctiveness in the global music industry. (Later, he pays tribute to his own roots by singing Enya to an enthusiastic karaoke crowd.)

Peter Hauptmann agrees:

“There’s a special vibe here in the North, and that’s something we want to highlight and build on.”


Ulla-Stina Wiland heads the Northern Norway Jazz Center in Bodø.

“It’s part of our ethos to reflect the full breadth of Northern Norway’s cultural heritage. That’s why Arctic Pulse is so important to us. Together, we can strengthen the sense of belonging to a Nordic context where languages and cultures have never been limited by national borders.”

Among the many collaborations that have emerged through the project, she particularly recalls a jam session in Pajala, where musicians from different countries came together and quickly found common ground. This evening, she looks forward to sharing a similar experience with a Finnish audience as the Northern Norway Jazz Ensemble performs its Kven-language concert, *Kaipu*, at the Valve Cultural Center.

For the Norrlands Opera, working across borders comes naturally, says CEO Helle Solberg, who has come to attend the project’s steering committee meeting and to see the Sámi opera *Ovllá*.

“In the Arctic region, we work across vast distances, and sometimes the nearest city is actually in a neighboring country,” she points out.

The steering committee met in Oulu.

Within the network, there are opportunities to create efficient touring routes, develop a shared pool of musicians for orchestras in the region, and take joint responsibility for supporting and promoting culture in the North. This work is particularly important in relation to the region’s endangered minority languages, but also in strengthening new generations of musicians and organizers.

A recent example is the February tour in Finland by the Norrlandsoperan Symphony Orchestra, featuring Sámi soloists Katarina Barruk and Hildá Länsman. Another is the focus on emerging talent, with Umeå bands Marlin and Deppa taking part in the Norwegian festival Rallarrabalder in Narvik.

“Together with our partners, we want to continue this work and create better long-term conditions for artists,” says Helle.

The following day, conference participants head out onto the frozen archipelago at the seaside resort of Nallikari, where the fifth edition of Frozen People takes place—a festival of electronic music and temporary art installations.

Ice fog blurs the horizon, merging with the red glow of the setting sun. The music pulses. We dance in front of the illuminated lighthouse.

Text: Hanna Kangassalo
Photo: Jaakko Jylhä