UNESCO Cities of Music

Valparaíso, the highest heritage city in Chile, is a long-standing commune that was never founded. Always occupied as an improvised dock by the natives, after the European arrival it became one of the most important cities in Latin America given its port status. Today it is the regional capital in whose surroundings you will find magnificent attractions such as valleys, vineyards, mountains and beautiful beaches.

With a vibrant culture in its 42 hills, the nights of Valparaiso keep the secret of one of the most active bohemian cities in Chile. Tradition and modernity in one place, typical parties and the friendliness of the Valparaiso inhabitants make this city a unique experience.

Its privileged mild climate allows you to enjoy its nature and architecture throughout the year. Its scales and viewpoints are beautiful windows to the past and the future, where its people and lifestyle can be seen in detail.

Valparaíso is the seat of the Ministry of Cultures, Arts and Heritage with a population of 300 thousand people, but is part of an urban nucleus of more than 1 million inhabitants. His history kept him connected to cultural and technological advances, positioning himself as a pole of innovation and entrepreneurship at the national level.

Its historic center was recognized by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site, as an exceptional testimony of the early stages of globalization. Valparaíso is a university city, where approximately 120,000 people attend undergraduate and graduate studies in the 10 higher education establishments that make it, the city with the highest university activity in the country in relation to its population, generating a framework of national cooperation and international available to the city and the network of creative cities.

In the last 2 decades, Valparaíso has proposed the path of sustainable development, to ease a long process of stagnation and the high unemployment rates that characterize it, taking advantage of its main assets: a privileged geographical position, a unique material heritage and especially its community, resilient, creative and entrepreneurial; which today seeks to consolidate itself as a Musical City.

The musical culture resonates in the hills with a large organization of carnival parades and popular carnivals. In its natural amphitheater given by its “crazy” geography, a multitude of musical artists see the inspiration for their creations in the old port. Music resonates in streets, corners and staircases daily, bouncing between echoes from the hills, since its origins.

The city’s growth at a creative level in recent decades has given rise to countless musical events that take place on weekends in bars and local stages. Highlights include the great Rockodromo musical event, a great festival of bands and soloists, consecrated and emerging, that converge on three large stages, bringing together thousands of national, international tourists, in addition to inhabitants of Valparaiso. A sample of the musical culture that Valparaíso, the jewel of the pacific of the 21st century, cultivates and sows from the Port to the world.

Situated in the Central Region of Portugal, Leiria is the District’s capital.

The County is 568km2 and 126.897 inhabitants; while the city itself is home to 42.785 residents.

Leiria is in a privileged geographical position, near the coastline, and at the axis of the main transport links between the country’s two major cities, Oporto and Lisbon.

Leiria is a city where the Future is built. In the thirteenth century, the troubadour king, D. Dinis, composed here the “cantigas de amigo” that embody the Portuguese-Galician songbook. From this castle, he looked at the vastness spreading until the sea and ordered the Pinhal de Leiria to be planted. Two centuries later it’s wood would be used for the caravels that sailed the globe. Music and this visionary capacity are part of the DNA of the leirienses. With a strong industry and great quality of life, there is a predisposition to make and consume culture.

Musically, Leiria appears in the national and international panorama at the forefront of social and artistic projects that work on social equity, human dignity and inclusion. Here, musicians, dancers, writers and artists of international renown have grown; here, the most emblematic projects in the relationship between Music and human dignity began: OPERA IN PRISON, HERE WITH YOU or CONCERTS FOR BABIES, already replicated all over the world. With an enviable natural  and architectonic heritage, the city has been able to reinvent itself to create a true public space where culture is lived daily through events such as THE DOOR, ENTREMURALHAS, MUSIC IN LEIRIA or by pop and rock bands, centennial wind bands, choirs and  folklore groups.

The squares, the gardens, the River Lis, the streets and the halls are lively and dynamic places, meeting places where culture is lived daily. Annually, the City offers itself in the form of Music.

Veszprém: A City Tuned to Music

Veszprém truly is a town that loves music. For us, it’s not just about the big names, professional artists, or mass events, but a deep commitment to making music an everyday part of life for everyone. We actively motivate amateurs and hobby musicians, understanding that music builds communities and provides our residents with unforgettable experiences. We are proud of the local bands that have grown up here and regularly perform at venues like Expresszó Klub, our vibrant choir meetings involving groups like the Veszprém City Choir, and the electrifying outdoor popular music concerts at the Gyárkert Cultural Park, which can host up to 5,000 people. Our annual Street Music Festival, featuring global bands, attracts tens of thousands and offers a vital opportunity for emerging Hungarian artists to introduce themselves. VeszprémFest brings high-level, prestigious international stars to stages in town, and the renowned Auer Violin Festival celebrates classical virtuosity at venues like the Hangvilla Multifunctional Community Centre. Thanks to our open and music-loving audience, many stars who have once performed here—from Jamie Cullum to Katie Melua at VeszprémFest, or even international street musicians—eagerly return.

This profound openness has fostered a rich musical ecosystem, with numerous amateur and professional choirs and orchestras thriving across the city. The Mendelssohn Chamber Orchestra of Veszprém is a prime example of a leading professional ensemble. We regularly see three parallel classical music concert series, often playing to full houses. Every weekend – and on many weekdays at venues like Papírkutya – we provide concerts and electronic music events for 100 to 1,200 young people at various clubs and cultural spaces. Consequently, relative to its size, Veszprém is a leading Hungarian city in organizing live music events.

We do not emphasize one single style or event; instead, we focus on music itself as a powerful tool for communication among people and communities. Participation is what truly counts, because we believe that music can genuinely make life better at both individual and collective levels. This is why we’re committed to creating more dedicated social areas for playing music—such as the refurbished spaces within Agóra Veszprém Cultural Centre—encouraging people to learn and perform through institutions like the Hangár pop music education centre (which was “sold out” during its pilot period) and the Antal Csermák School of Music (educating nearly 900 students). We also continue to bring even more inspiring events to our town. Essentially, we want to simultaneously strengthen and widen music’s foundation, understanding that a broader base allows its peak to reach ever higher.

http://zenevarosa.hu/en/article/summarising-city-of-music 

Music and Ambon City cannot be separated. Music seems to have been the pulse of the movement of a city known as the Ambon Manise because of “musical intuition” which is outwardly embedded in the Ambonese blood and pulse. Then came the expression “Ambonese from the stomach can sing or hum”. Ambonese have DNA Music where DNA is a genetic carrier network in a living organism. This can be proven by the ability: 1) sounds harmony by feeling. Can not be found anywhere in the world harmony can be done automatically; 2) absolute hearing against pitch control or certain frequencies; 3) Timbre (various vocal colors) “.

Music is not only a part of art but music has become an Ambonese culture (a representation of the Moluccas). As an example came a large number of singers from Ambon City who had made Indonesia famous in national and international competitions and dominated the music market at certain times with different timbre. Thus, Ambon music has become a barometer of music in Indonesia.

The second to the music sector, gastronomy is developing particularly intensively in Ambon. Indonesia is famous for its excellent cuisine, thanks to the richness of fruits, vegetables, spices and seafood. For a long time, Ambon, as a port city, was an exporter of spices, such as cloves. The city hosts the Music Art and Food Festival, in which representatives of other cities and regions also take part. The Amboina International Bamboo Music Festival and Conference also features international guests, focusing not only on music but also on the craft of performing on traditional instruments.

Today music is an icon and vehicle for creating interfaith togetherness with its universal strength in penetrating differences. Music becomes a temporary tool of peace and will be used as “added value” and “characteristic of Ambon city” to be juxtaposed with other world music cities

Metz is a lively metropolis where you can find the arts everywhere thanks to its very active cultural scene. Centre Pompidou-Metz, Cité musicale-Metz, Opéra-Théâtre, cultural seasons punctuated by highlights (many festivals held throughout the year including Constellations during the summer). It is also a city filled with creative industries in particular to be found within the Bliiida Third place and co-working centre and its technology park.

Being the birthplace of Gregorian Chant (9th century), music continues to play major role in fashioning Metz’ identity. The music scene never ceases to shine on the national and international level through the International meeting of contemporary music, its composers (Ambroise Thomas, Gabriel Pierné, Claude Lefèbvre, etc.), its artists and ensembles (Le Concert Lorrain, Cascadeur, Chapelier fou, Jean-Efflam Bavouzet, etc.) and its music venues: theOpéra-Théâtre (the oldest still active in France) as well as the Arsenal, the Trinitaires and BAM which joined with the Orchestre National de Metz in 2016 to form the Cité musicale-Metz, home to all types of music for all audiences. Metz is also a pioneering city in terms of music education with the establishment of one of the first Conservatories in France (1835) which became the Conservatoire Gabriel Pierné, not counting the strong influx of wind bands and choral societies in the 19th century, a tradition which has lasted right up to the present time.

Metz is committed to a long-term policy for making culture and especially, music, a means of creating a long-lasting community spirit. To meet the challenge of military reconversion, the city has created major cultural infrastructures, boosting its region and encouraging creativity in all its forms. as evidenced by the reconversion of the sites recalling its rich past as a garrison town and a European crossroads with exceptional cultural assets: the Arsenal, a renowned concert hall, the Centre Pompidou-Metz, the first cultural satellite of the prestigious Paris museum, BAM, a concert hall for popular music as well as the reconversion of former warehouses into the Bliiida Third place where arts blend together with creative and digital industries, the opening of Agora, a social and cultural centre or the reconversion of the former military cold-stores into a place where artistic creation and community actions can flourish. Creativity is also found in the field of research and innovation: the Georgia Tech Lorraine campus, the Sound Research workshop of the Ecole Supérieure d’Art de Lorraine.

As a UNESCO City of Music, Metz intends to strengthen its local ecosystem and use it to promote  music education and to reduce social inequalities through its action plan entitled “Music as a lever for education, transmission, training and inclusion”. It plans:

• to develop community music education projects for children and young people with social problems
• to establish a Music City for children with permanent areas dedicated to workshops and music and sound discovery activities.
• to provide more support to artistic creation and for bringing young artists up to a professional level.
• to share experiences and innovative projects in music education with other cities of the network.
• to organise an International Conference on the topic of music education with the participation of other creative cities.
• To share with other creative cities interdisciplinary projects and creation residencies.

The city of Kirsehir in the heart of Turkey is known as a music hub in the region with more than 2.000 professional musician. The main performers namely Abdals (the term of “Abdal” refers to a specific group of local folk musicians in Middle Anatolia), are one of the most important communities in terms of Anatolian Musical Heritage with their specific ways of expression. Their special and distinctive lifestyles, social relations, religious views, values and ideas created in their spiritual realms are the main sources of their authentic art. They have a unique way of passing the music knowledge. It is inherited from father to son, master to apprentice without any formal education or musical note. The most popular representative of this music culture, Neset Ertas, was designated as a Living Human Treasure by government (UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage Specialization Committee) in 2008, accepted as a genius of art with his products and reed-vocal techniques.

The local music called “Bozlak” is a distinctive singing form identifies with Kırşehir and Bozlak songs reflect love, bravery, manhood, separation, expedition, relations between tribes and saturninity. This type of singing has become popular in the national music industry with increased recognition of the city nationwide.

In Kırşehir, local music is well adapted to social life and people find it easier to express themselves with music throughout history. Music can be seen in most of the social activities such as wedding ceremonies, dinner gatherings, national days, national and international events organized by the city and it is also the main source for local folk dance groups. The dancers and the Abdals work together during events and organizations.

As local music has been performed in every event and ceremonies in social life, this has kept the music industry in the city alive with musical instruments production and private music education institutes. Kirsehir has been using traditional Turkish music instruments but also adapted western musical instruments to enrich musical sounds for three centuries. Especially “saz” and violin are played together only in this region.

Ministry of Culture and Tourism has launched music heritage programme. Under this programme, Ministry recruited 15 Abdals and created Kirsehir master’s music and folk group aiming to provide local musicians to perform their art coordinately. This group has performed at national and international levels including Germany, Japan, Belgium, Holland, and Austria and demonstrated their music and danced in these events.

Organizations and Facilities

Neset Ertas Culture and Art Festival is organized every year by Kirsehir Municipality in the city. This three-day program includes many concerts.

Kirsehir Ahi Evran University Fine Arts Faculty is the main establishment for the candidates who wish to perform local music professionally.

BEGEM (Youth Center of Kirsehir Municipality) serves to young people who are interested in music and who wish to take part in performing musical instruments.

Neset Ertas Culture and Art Center, four public education centers, Family Living Center, National Education Ministry Science and Art Center also provides music courses to youth and vulnerable groups.

Llíria is a Mediterranean city located 25 km northwest of València (Spain). It has about 23,000 inhabitants and it is connected to an international airport and port in less than 30 minutes. Historically, the city stands out because it was one of the most important Iberian cities (Edeta) in Spain, which is attested by its imposing legacy. Later, it was a Roman city, with findings that can be seen in its current streets (Oracular Temple and Roman Baths, Mausoleums). The Arab period was significant as well (Arab Baths). In 1238 the first church was built (Iglesia de la Sangre), following the conquest of the Christian king Jaime I. Other Renaissance and Baroque buildings complete Llíria’s extensive heritage.

Music is an essential part of the Llirian identity and the feature for which the city is nationally and internationally recognized, particularly regarding formation, being one of the Spanish municipalities with the highest percentage of citizens with musical studies. Llíria has four centres where official music studies are offered. On the one hand, the prestigious private schools Banda Primitiva and Unió Musical provide elementary music training. In 1997 a significant educational initiative took place, which was a pioneer at the national level: the creation of the first teaching centre in Spain that integrated music into primary studies, the CIEM Unió Musical. The professional level is taught at the public Conservatory. During the last 25 years, this institution has trained more than 3,000 students (53% women).

In terms of lifelong learning, the musical societies of the Unió Musical and the Primitiva have a steady offer of advanced training for graduate and postgraduate students and for professional musicians.

The Orquestra de Plectre “El Micalet”, the Agrupación Musical Edetana “Vicente Giménez” and the Band UDP – a pioneer in being composed entirely by retirees – complete the creative Edetanian musical proposal.

Llíria’s reputation as a musical city dates back to the 3^rd/2^nd century BC. This is evidenced by the Iberian ceramic vessels decorated with musicians and dancers found in the Tossal de Sant Miquel (archaeological site). In the Mudejar coffered ceiling of the Iglesia de La Sang (13^th century), almost twenty different medieval instruments may be noted. In 2019, it was celebrated the bicentenary of the creation of the oldest civil band in Spain, the Banda Primitiva, a seed of the important band movement of the population, which in turn has counted on one of the most awarded civil bands at both national and international levels since 1903: the Unió Musical. Because music is more than a tradition in Llíria; it is a social reality, a lifestyle and a means to live. In recent years, Llíria’s City Council has opted for the implementation of development policies that take into account the protection and the promotion of culture and heritage, since they are conceived as an economic and social engine for the city and an incentive for urban regeneration. Singular initiatives of great prestige have been carried out, in which music merges with the rich historical heritage of the city – with 30 spaces to enjoy live performances –, linked to the 2030 Agenda of the United Nations and its 17 Sustainable Development Goals, with which Llíria is seriously committed.

VRANJE, A CITY WITH A SOUL

The City of Vranje is an administrative, economic, health, educational and cultural centre of Pčinja district in the south of Serbia, Europe. According to the 2022 census results, 74.381 inhabitants live within the city’s territory.

Vranje, located on Corridor 10, is a well-known industrial town, with a great tradition in wood processing, textile, shoes manufacturing, metal, tobacco and food industry. Many foreign investors are already doing business in Vranje, especially in Free zone area.

The City of Vranje is just 347 km away from Belgrade – the capital of Serbia and 300 km away from the second-largest city in Greece – Thessaloniki.

The first written evidence about Vranje dates from 1093. Located on the “cross road of space and time”, Vranje was under influences of many civilizations. Almost 1000 years of history and tradition shaped the city`s cultural and social environment, with a special emphasis on richness of heritage and peaceful coexistence of different ethnic communities.  The City of Vranje is a birthplace of a famous Serbian writer Borisav Bora Stanković.

Vranje, as the center of the southernmost part of the Republic of Serbia, is famous for many things. However, the citizens of Vranje are known for their desire to honor the tradition and spirit of old Vranje, mostly by nurturing the legacy of urban songs and trumpet music.

Specific music expression reflects deep sensitivity, feelings and temperament of people living in this area. Urban song from Vranje (“Vranjska gradska pesma”) is on the list of immaterial cultural heritage of the Republic of Serbia. With the intention of more intensive promotion of musical heritage in the country and abroad, the City of Vranje, starting from 2019, organizes traditional two-day Festival “Urban songs from Vranje”.

Apart from its urban songs, Vranje is famous for its trumpet music and trumpet players. With the intention of safeguarding and more intensive promotion of trumpet music heritage, the City of Vranje organize traditional cultural-touristic manifestation “Days of Vranje” where among other activities, trumpet players and orchestras have a remarkable part. Manifestation takes place in the City Park, which has a music pavilion in its composition. For the people of Vranje, it is an “identity card”, and for tourists, it is the enjoyment of Vranje melodies and food.

The City of Vranje also cherishes the value and importance of classical music. Traditional manifestation “May the month of music” has become a relevant international event.

Music is not just a part of the heritage, it is an important tourist offer component, it connects people, promotes best values.

In Vranje, the theatre “Bora Stankovic” is one of the oldest theatres in Serbia, where many events are hosted. Vranje is a host to an important documentary film festival “Document”, while a School of animated film “SAF” is widely known throughout Europe and other world countries and it has been awarded many times. 

Preservation and valorization of the great cultural heritage is an important local government development policy component. Development vision is based on integration processes and modernization. Vranje is an open, modern city, with numerous domestic and foreign tourists and the city that has established long-term cooperation with local communities within Serbia and abroad.

One of the most beautiful sayings dedicated to Vranje is stated by Ćamil Sijarić, a writer and a student of Gymnasium “Bora Stankovic” Vranje:

“Anyone who comes to Vranje, must keep his soul from melting, for the city contains something not for the eyes to see, nor for the hand to grab, nor for the mind – but only for the heart and soul, which need to be guarded in this place.”

Kazan is the capital of the entity of Russia – Republic of Tatarstan. Kazan is the city with many years of traditions which gave the world music dozens of famous composers and performers. Composers Miliy Balakirev,  Sofia Gubaydullina, the great singer Feodor Shalyapin, famous musicians and singers Oleg Lunstrem, Mikhail Pletnev, Albina Shagimuratova and Aida Garifullina.

Every year Kazan hosts participants of more than 40 largest international festivals including the opera festival after Feodor Shalyapin, the classical ballet festival after Rudolf Nureyev, “Kazan Autumn”, “Concordia”, “The white Lilac”. The growth of the festival movement is supported by the well-developed infrastructure amounting to more than 400 institutions and organizations of culture and art. There are 7 theatres, Tatar State Philharmonic Society, Kazan Conservatory,  the State Great Concert Hall, 16 cultural centers and 50 arts schools.

All this is a unique cultural environment of the city uniting modern classical arts, Avantgarde and national culture. Eventful musical life of Kazan is a factor uniting different layers of the urban community, who feel themselves engaged in the development of musical culture.

As a creative city Kazan presupposes:

– implementation of creative projects during holding international festivals in Kazan with  attraction of participants and partners from the members of the Creative Cities Network;

–  supporting the development of creative industries within the “Cultural Wednesdays” project  with the aim of actively involving residents and guests of the city into the musical cultural lufe and presentations of the projects inviting representatives from the UNESCO Creative Cities Network;

–  implementation of cultural-educational projects for the youth by organizing international events with the use of new musical forms within the multi-genre project “Tatcultfest”.