Conference

Selected by an independent jury, the Conference is one of the key features of Classical:NEXT, offering a wide variety of useful and inspiring themes for all sectors.

Set up to keep delegates up-to-date with new developments and provide the right know-how to cope with current issues, the conference is also a place to find new partners.

It is comprised of the following formats: Conference Sessions, Meet Ups, Mentorings, and off C:N Presentations.

2025 Conference Preview

Explore the first previews of the 2025 Programme. More coming soon.

Discussing insights and implications from current research projects

How can we investigate audiences and their experiences at innovative concerts? Let’s explore research approaches and discuss how we can translate research findings into practice.
Chaired by Lea Jakob
with Nina Paul, Sarah Price

Empowering communities through music and collective action

Using music as a tool for inclusion, we redefine cultural rights and empower vulnerable communities through innovative musical repertoires.
Chaired by María Juliana Velásquez Trujillo
with Diego Zapata, Paulo Salazar

Why your orchestra’s branding isn’t attracting new audiences

“We have finally found a way to measure if your orchestra’s brand is attracting or deterring new audiences and what people actually think when they encounter your brand for the first time.”
Chaired by Cecilie Szkotak Nielsen
with Søren Mikael Rasmussen

Breaking the Cycle of "We Should"

Real change in the classical music industry starts with honest conversations and bold action. Let’s challenge the status quo with some spicy questions and inspire progress together!
Chaired by Kian Jazdi
with Dorothee Kalbhenn, Beat Fehlmann, Hannah Bregler

Where do we stand and what are the future trends?

The panel discussion will delve into the issue of the availability and accessibility of cultural content on digital platforms, questioning the multifaceted role of algorithmic recommendations in shaping visibility for creators and affecting cultural diversity.
Chaired by Esther Gottschalk
with Zahra Mani, Dr. Jannick Kirk Sørensen

Solving the problem of the second performance

Resonate aims to inspire more performances, recordings and broadcasts of outstanding contemporary repertoire, as chosen by orchestras, whilst strengthening approaches to programming this music for the benefit of audiences, composers and players in the UK and overseas.
Chaired by Elizabeth Sills
with Naomi Belshaw

Come play at future intersections of technology, literacy, and creativity

What might the future of digital literacy look like for creative communities in 2035? And how might technological skills drive positive outcomes, innovation and opportunity?
Chaired by Suzanne Stein
with Patti Schmidt, Rhyna Thompson

How to make classical music meaningfully accessible for disabled people

Three leading British changemaking organizations explore what accessibility truly means. Join representatives from Attitude is Everything, Drake Music, and Black Lives in Music for a reflective session on achieving accessibility and inclusion.
Chaired by Paul Hawkins
with Sally Currie, Roger Wilson

The conversation we need to start today in order to face what’s NEXT

Mental health professionals play a key role in fostering innovation, sustainability and excellence within the classical music community.
Chaired by Francisca Fernandez

RIOS Network of Orchestras and Score Catalogue, initiatives of IBERMUSICAS

Connecting orchestras and artists in Ibero-America, showcasing tools like the recently launched Ibero-American Score Catalogue to promote regional repertoire and collaboration.
Chaired by Francisco Varela
with Micaela Gurevich

Reimagining musical participation for art music audiences

How do you get 10,000 people to play art music on the kazoo? Join us for a hands-on workshop that takes a deep dive into audience participation.
Chaired by Dr. Ciaran Frame

Insights from the new German Festival Study

A 2025 government-funded study by the cooperation partners Initiative Musik with the Bundesstiftung LiveKultur and the German Music Information Centre provides a comprehensive cross-genre analysis of Germany’s music festival landscape.
Chaired by Stephan Schulmeistrat
with Dorothea Heinze, Timo Varelmann, Vala Halldors, Natalia Oszkó Jakab

Rethinking the history of music through a global lens

Did you know music of composers like Hadyn or Mozart originated in places like Persia, Africa, and China? Come learn about this interesting history.
Chaired by Vincent Sneed

How to succeed in your net zero journey in classical music

If we in the cultural business can’t establish a sustainability culture, who else can? The good news is, there’s a solution for every challenge. It’s time for us to lead the way.
Chaired by Lea Brückner
with Jacob Sylvester Bilabel, Jean-Frédéric Caron

Artistic leadership of socially and musically diverse ensembles

Gain an insight into artistic leadership with socially and artistically diverse groups. Practical music making, questions and dynamic conversation.
Chaired by Sigrún Sævarsdóttir-Griffiths

Live classical music builds listening skills beyond the concert hall

Good listening is hard. Can music help? In this discussion, we draw on neuroscience, social history and mindfulness to explore the unique ways in which live classical music can deepen communication skills with benefits that reach beyond the concert hall.
Chaired by Dr. Corinna da Fonseca-Wollheim
with Lucilla Schmidinger

Using self-determination theory to demonstrate social impact

Discover how to foster advocacy for music’s social impact using insights from sports psychology and Self-Determination Theory.
Chaired by Fiona Stevens
with Michelle Robinson

Exploring alternative ways of working to reposition in a modern world

“The existing orchestral model is a barrier to our ability to develop the artform of classical music and reposition it in a modern world. Reevaluating the orchestral model today is a key part of classical music’s survival strategy” – Toks Dada.
Chaired by Toks Dada
with Linda Begbie, John Harte, Jonathan Harper

Changing power structures in the classical music world from the bottom up

How can we create systemic change to support musicians’ mental health? Our TUNE-IN framework offers insights, strategies, and a call to action.
Chaired by Heather O’Donnell
with Angela Büche, Paul Roe

A hyper-local approach to community place-making

What better way to define the orchestra’s role in modern society, than to ask the community itself? The session highlights a hyperlocal approach to building community partnerships, exploring co-curating projects and the experience of genuinely embedding an orchestra in its community.
Chaired by David Burke
with Claudia Clarkson

Formats explained

What is a Conference Session?

The Classical:NEXT Conference is all about connecting and engaging. The jury-selected conference sessions are at its heart, featuring interactive formats such as mini-workshops, group discussions and lively debates, along with presentations and panels.

Meet Ups provide a place to form new alliances or deepen existing relationships. This semi-formal format provides a platform for established or emerging international networks to get together, brainstorm, develop ideas and connect with potential members or partners.

Ask all your burning questions, exchange ideas and get practical tips from our jury-selected mentors. Choose between one-to-one 45-minute sessions or join a small group for a 45-minute Roundtable session.

Besides the jury-selected Conference programme our Off-C:N Presentations offer delegates an additional space to present their projects, products or services. To learn more, contact us at conference@classicalnext.com.