Nordic Network for Music Education

NNME is a network within Nordplus. The partners in the network are among the leading institutions in the Nordic and the Baltic countries within the academic field of music education (in the Nordic countries called music pedagogy).

The network comprises several institutions, carefully selected, and represents all the five Nordic and the three Baltic countries. For over 25 years Western Norway University of Applied Sciences has been the network coordinator.

News

In early January, 2026, the Nordic Network for Music Education (NNME) held its network planning meeting at the Edsberg Castle campus of the Royal Academy of Music, Stockholm, devoted to long-term planning for the NNME.
Participants from across the NB8 countries contributed to the discussions. The meetings were hosted by David Thyren (KMH-Stockholm), led by David Hebert (HVL-Bergen), with invaluable input from Marja-Leena Juntunen (UniArts Helsinki), Sergio Garcia-Cuesta (RMC-Copenhagen) and Giedrė Gabnytė Bizevičienė (LMTA-Vilnius). We were also joined online by Mara Marnauza (JVLAM-Riga), Kadi Kaja (EAMT-Tallinn), and Camilla Kvaal (INN-Hamar), also obtaining comments from Helga Rut Gudumundsdottir (University of Iceland), thereby including representation from all NB8 nations.

We are pleased to now have an excellent concept and implementation plans for our upcoming 3-year project.

Reviews

There are now some published reviews of the first book to be published by NNME, Advancing Music Education in Northern Europe. Click here to access some of the reviews:

This book, edited by David G. Hebert and Torunn Bakken Hauge, tells the story of the NNME network, that has contributed in profound ways to the professional development of music teachers in the Nordic and Baltic countries.

Previous Courses

For a few years, NNME unfortunately received less funding than before, but in 2025 the network has new funding from Nordplus for a network planning meeting, and an intensive joint Master course will again be held in Finland on 3-7 November, 2025. The 2025 NNME course is titled Socially, Ecologically, and Ethically Responsible Music Education and will be hosted by University of the Arts Helsinki at the Kallio-Kuninkala villa near the former home of composer Jean Sibelius. Prof. Marja-Leena Juntunen (of UniArts-Helsinki) is the local course host.

Challenges of Digital Tools in Music Education, Bergen Norway, October 24-28, 2022. In this link you find details about this international course/symposium as NNME begins its 25th year. Email Prof. David Hebert with any questions: dgh@hvl.no.

The next NNME course, "Music Learning with Digital Technologies", was hosted in Reykjavik by University of Iceland, November 1-5.

The Nordic Network for Music Education (NNME)’s annual symposium and intensive joint Master course, November 2020. Videos with highlights from the symposium keynotes are available here.

Fifteen courses have been organized by NNME over the years.

Aim of the network

The broad aim of the network is to strengthen the reflection and the discussion of music education, and through this also contribute to its development.

The particular strengths and specialties of each country and institution are made use of in network cooperation and thus it is possible to carry out in-depth studies with perspectives and broadness exceeding the capacity of individual institutions.

Network activities

Network activities include teacher and student exchange, network planning and intensive seminars for masters students. Joint intensive courses for master students has been one of the key areas of the network. Fifteen courses have been organized.

The topics and focuses have varied according to the hosts and their specialities and preferences. Students also get the opportunity to present their ongoing projects. Particular teachers at the course comment upon these projects.

In 2021, the NNME expanded to include 18 member institutions, comprising each of the major postgraduate music teacher education programs in the 8 countries of Northern Europe: Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Finland, Sweden, Denmark, Norway, and Iceland.

We are happy to announce four new partner institutions in the network:

Current, recent and previous projects

Part 1: 2019 Course: Digital Competence and Music Beyond Europe (Malmo, Sweden, November 4-8, 2019)
Part 2: 2020 Course: Digitized Heritage: Sustaining Local Traditions (Hamar, Norway, November 3-6)
Part 3: 2021 Course: Music Learning with Digital Technologies (Reykjavik, Iceland, November 1-5, 2021)
Part 4: 2022 Course: Challenges of Digital Tools in Music Education (Viljandi, Estonia, October 24-28, 2022).

Pushing the borders of music education: Nordic-Baltic perspectives.

Part 1: Music language and communication: Building bridges and intercultural connections in a lifespan perspective. An intensive course was successfully organized in Reykjavik October 2015.
Part 2: Music education: Identity, citizenship and community. An intensive course was successfully organized in Bergen October/November 2017.
Part 3: Pushing borders: Beyond traditional venues of music education. A third intensive course is planned to take place at The University of Arts, Sibelius Academy in Finland October 2018.