UNESCO Cities of Music

Brno is unique in its multicultural tradition (Bohemian, Moravian, German, Jewish and Romani cultures) and the whole South-Moravian region has a long and rich folk music tradition. The City of Brno has established 10 cultural organisations (including an opera house, musical theatre and philharmonic orchestra). These are complemented by an exceptionally rich and varied range of associations, agencies, ensembles and artists.

Musical personalities associated with Brno include Leoš Janáček, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Erich Wolfgang Korngold, Pavel Haas, Bohuslav Martinů, Magdalena Kožená, Iva Bittová and Woody Vasulka. Established institutions that continue to operate include the folklore association Slovácký krúžek (1908), the Brno Conservatory (1919), the Gustav Brom Bigband (1940), the Brno Philharmonic (1956) and the Exposition of New Music festival (since 1987).

The city’s economy is oriented toward services, specialized technologies and the trade fair business; there is substantial representation of the music industry and the creative sector of the economy. Science, technology, research and education are also significantly developed.

Brno cooperates with 16 partner cities and, is a member of international networks of cities with music components, e.g. EFA, CENTROPE, EUROCITIES, LIKE and partner networks (Horizon 2020, URBACT).

As a Creative City of Music, Brno envisages:

• work together with other UCCN cities on the creation of new international projects, residencies and educational programs;
• enhance on international recognition of the historically rooted musical identity of Brno as the central representative of a region that is unusually fertile musically
• strengthen the cultural and creative industries as strategic pillars of the city‘s development, in long-term
• create a working scheme for inclusion of young culture managers within the music cities meetings

Praia, capital of the Republic of Cape Verde, located on the island of Santiago, is the largest population and economic center of the country, with 155,252 inhabitants and 43.2% of the GNP. After independence in 1975, there was, from Praia, a process of national valorization of these musical genres which contributed to the stylization of these traditional musics and the deepening of others, which reflect the country’s creoleness, and who have known internationalization in the 1990s.

Music is part of the life of its inhabitants who establish an intimate relationship with the music awarded by family ties, friendship and neighborhood that ensure the informal and inter-generational transmission of musical practice. Praia is today the main musical center of the country notably through the Atlantic Music Expo (AME), the biggest market of the music of the Atlantic, the Kriol Jazz Festival, the Gamboa Music Festival and the Noite Branca (White Night), an essentially popular cultural and musical event that takes place at the end of the year. This movement helps to boost the economy, through the creation of several jobs (the economy of culture represents about 15% of jobs, and these jobs musicians represent 31%) although small businesses (more than 150 ) that consolidate to the extent that diversifies the cultural agenda of the city.

The main cultural and musical initiation area in Praia is the family and neighborhood network as a privileged area for arts education. In addition to arts education promoted in various recreation associations and cultural centers, others have been developed: the Pentagrama Music School which offers a formal music education program for children and young people and L’Espace Goutte d’Art which aims to promote among children and young people, among informal education, the taste through the arts and personal development through music, dance, theater and visual arts.

Praia recognizes and values the people involved in creative work as fundamental for local music production, but also for the preservation of the musical heritage and cultural identity of the city. Thereby, the Praia City Council has put in place a governance program with clear measures for the cultural and creative sector, with activities and projects to promote training through residency grants in other countries, to support creation and production with the creation and commissioning of rehearsal rooms and community studios, but also to reward talent, creativity and excellence in the field of music creation and production.

Located in southern Chile in the Los Lagos Region, Frutillar (pop. 11,500) bears witness to a 150-year vibrant musical history. The city retains deep influence from German settlers from the 1850s that strengthened music as a fundamental motor of social life. As a result of a strong community commitment, the city is home to one of the oldest music festival in Latin America, Semanas Musicales de Frutillar (Frutillar Musical Weeks) held in the Teatro del Lago (Theatre of the Lake).

Every summer for the past 50 years, the Semanas Musicales de Frutillar attracts an annual audience of 50,000, or four times the local population, and offers an extensive programme of 40 concerts showcasing 400 artists. Local community is highly supportive and mobilised for the event. The Teatro del Lago also hosts year-round national and international events as well as raising cultural awareness and organising training programmes for young people, most of which are free. This includes the Escuela de las Artes, which is the most important local initiative in the field of music education. In last years, more than 5.000 young people benefitted from this programme.

With 21% poverty rate, Frutillar ranks among most vulnerable areas within the Province of Llanquihue and finds in cultural-led development a lever to provide better welfare system. The implementation of the Sustainable Development Plan PLADES has further pursued this vision by placing culture and the arts within social, economic and environmental strategies. This plan was a result of a participatory approach of citizen consultation and aimed to build a more inclusive and responsive development initiative. The Municipality, together with the private sector, academia and civil society, has consolidated this plan in line with the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

As a Creative City of Music, Frutillar envisages:

• Strengthening quality education, as well as raising awareness about the contribution of culture to sustainable development.
• Generate incentives for the music industry to develop local musical contents, engaging national and international artists.
• Work cross-cutting approaches between local crafts and traditional works and music.
• Strength Social Integration programs, aimed at generating resources to support creative initiatives highlighting social inclusion, identity-building and cultural diversity.
• Create an Observatory of Creativity, aimed at monitoring the impact of cultural investments on social well-being.

Kansas City, Missouri is the home of KC swing, jazz, gospel and the blues. The City’s rich historical legacy of music includes a transformational chapter in the history of American jazz and swing music. Based in Kansas City, Missouri a number of bands developed a unique sound that radically transformed the traditional jazz genre of New Orleans into a modern musical idiom. The Kansas City swing sound is based in the blues, rooted in a 4/4 rhythm, and connected to the city’s tradition of competitive creative innovation through all night “jam sessions” and battles of the bands. This tradition of swing laid the foundation for the rise of Kansas City natives, Ben Webster and Charlie Parker, Jr – who transformed American jazz music and invented the new genre of Bebop.

The city’s historical legacy of jazz is rooted in the Negro Music Association and Local 627, the “colored” musicians’ chapter of the American Federation of Musicians (A.F. of M). Visitors to Kansas City today can tour the 18^thand Vine Jazz District and the “oldest jazz house” in the United States at 1823 Highland Avenue – a National Historic Landmark. Additional local destinations include the American Jazz Museum, the Gem Theater, the Black Archives of Mid America, and the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum.

Beyond 18^thand Vine, the city has a diversity of musical venues, university and music education programs, including the UMKC Conservatory of Music and Dance, and a vibrant music scene. The Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts provides a landmark for the city’s Crossroads Arts District, which is also the home to Folk Alliance International, an organization dedicated to the presentation of folk music globally. Visitors can experience a broad range of local heritage – and living traditions at The Museum of Kansas City. 

Kansas City has employed creativity in the revitalization of neighborhoods across the region. The area is home to a concentration of architecture, design and engineering firms that shape the city’s local employment and creative economy. Recent efforts to integrate technology into the city’s transportation networks and downtown area highlight the role of the media arts. Gastronomy is alive and well in the city with a vibrant farm to market movement, creative leadership from local chefs, and a growing community food movement, not to mention the gastronomy of KC BBQ known around the world.

Kansas City has deep roots in international cooperation as the headquarters of People to People – founded in 1961 to foster “citizen diplomacy” around the world, an active Sister Cities program, and the local organization Global Ties – which all keep the city connected with the world. Kansas City has active sister city relationships with 14 sister cities, including Seville, Spain, Guadalajara, Mexico, Hannover Germany, Morelia, Mexico, and Metz, France – each of which is a UCCN member city. 

Mission of the Kansas City UNESCO City of Music

As a Creative City of Music, Kansas City is working to:

• promote jazz heritage as a driver for sustainable development through city-adopted policies for neighborhoods, with jazz music being the principal component;
• implement cultural planning according to the universal values carried by Local 627 African American jazz musicians union, to honor and valorize the historic and existing culture of the 18th and Vine Historic District, and local neighborhoods;
• build an economic development plan in the city’s urban core and cultural tourism sites which will include a strong international component and connect to countries with an interest in jazz and Black American Music; and
• engage other Creative Cities through musical collaborations including the Voyage of the Drum, aimed to foster inter-cultural understanding, tolerance and mutual respect through music.
• supporting the UNESCO Creative Cities Network at regional, national and international levels through creative leadership, advocacy and solidarity.

Daegu is located in the southeastern region of South Korea and has a population of 2.5 million. It serves as an artistic and cultural city for the region, holding modern and contemporary cultures of Korea.

Centering on its music, Daegu is highly competitive in musical and opera performances converging arts, literature, and design, and organized a number of international music events in gukak (traditional Korean music), classical music and contemporary music.

The Daegu International Opera Festival (DIOF) held since 2003 is the largest of its scale in Asia with its focus on newly created operas. Until now, it has carried out close networking activities, such as joint opera productions and exchange performances, with 24 opera theatres and groups from the homes of opera such as Bologna, Italy and Seville, Spain.

The Daegu International Musical Festival (DIMF) is the only Asian musical festival. Held in June every year since 2007, it has attracted 1.4 million attendees to 219 musicals over the past 10 years. It is recognized as an art market for Korean and foreign musicals.

The World Orchestra Festival (WOF) held in November every year is Asia’s only orchestra festival. Korean and foreign orchestras perform and give workshops and symposia. The festival is attended annually by ca. 10,000 people, including both performers or conductors and classical music lovers.

We are making various efforts to forge global cultural networks centered on Daegu. Each year, the city hosts the UNESCO Creative City of Music Daegu Global Forum and actively engages in cultural and artistic exchanges with other creative cities of music.

Partnerships with other creative cities have helped Daegu offer diversified, great performances. The ultimate goal of the UNESCO Creative City of Music Daegu is to build a platform that acts as a
bridge between Daegu and the global stage.

Amarante has a cultural and historical legacy, where music has played a crucial role. Since 1854, three philharmonic bands were founded and have been vital in providing access to music dissemination, practice and training. In the mid-20th century, the city’s associative structure, today a significant component of the musical context, starts to grow through its folklore and percussion groups, engaging actively with the locals. Other groups and venues turned Amarante into a music hub: the Orquestra de Jazz, the Orfeão Amarantino, the Cineteatro programming (from the 40’s), the Tâmega Festival (1979-93) and the summer balls. This musical atmosphere inspired other creators, like the painter Amadeo de Souza-Cardoso.

The city’s associative structure, today a significant component of the musical context, started to grow in the end of the 19th century, through its three philharmonic bands, eleven folklore groups and eight percussion groups (‘bombos’). It’s estimated that 1200 people per year are involved in amateurs music practices.The Municipality promotes these creative assets by supporting and co-producing festivals, which annually attract to the city more people than its inhabitants (around 70.000). Currently, the major events are the June Festivities, Mimo Festival and Há Fest!.

The support given by the Municipality to cultural industries in the last five years aims first, to attract and support the production of regular and international events and second, to develop and qualify spaces for regular music programming. From the second line of intervention figure, the projects of requalification of the municipal market and the rehabilitation of Amarante Cineteatro.

The Mission of Amarante UNESCO City of Music is:

1. Encourage music as a tool for empowerment and active citizenship, notably in vulnerable groups (women and youth), by improving access to musical training and fruition, starting from nursery and primary schools.
2. Reinforce the local music ecosystem with creativity-based initiatives for business and professionalization that broaden opportunities for creators and professionals in the cultural sector, the already organized festivals will play a key role.
3. Foster the production and dissemination of cultural activities, through dedicated venues, such as the rehabilitation of Amarante Cineteatro. At the same time, encourage the city cross-cutting Music, Literature and Cinema with the intend to stimulate literature and reading practices through music.
4. Amarante, a music lab for all. This programme aims to present Amarante within the UCCN as an experimental music lab, by offering a context to share and disseminate practices in building a professional and inclusive music ecosystem.

With music and language intrinsically linked in Māori and Pacific culture, these communities add a richness and a unique sound to the Auckland’s cultural fabric: Māori waiata (songs) and moteatea (laments) serve a particularly important function, capturing otherwise untold histories and expressing our city’s stories of love, fear, anger and loss.

Many well-known New Zealand music artists originate from Auckland. Due to population size, the location of the music business and the city’s position as a gateway to the world, Auckland has long attracted musicians from the rest of the country to call this city home, too.

Several of New Zealand’s notable independent record labels, as well as all of the New Zealand offices of international record labels are based in Auckland, and have been responsible for signing and nurturing new talent. Many of the country’s music administrators (including managers, facilitators and organisers) and national music organisations base themselves in Auckland.

The city is also home to the world-class Auckland Philharmonia and Symphony and Youth orchestras. Notable festivals are held in Auckland; and our universities and vocational institutes cultivate new generations of musicians, composers, producers, audio engineers and administrators.

Music articulates Auckland’s voices in times of social activism and celebration, and the city is host to many indigenous, classical, jazz and ethnic music festivals and concert programmes. The city is governed by Auckland Council, the largest council in Australasia, and its programme of outdoor music events each year is comprehensive and reflective of the city’s cultural diversity. On a smaller scale, the indie music scene is supported by small venues around the inner city and beyond; suburban and community choirs and orchestras are thriving; and the  city has a fine tradition of instrument-making and technology innovation.

Auckland’s City of Music vision:

Music in Auckland is thriving and is part of the everyday lives of Aucklanders, with a music scene that offers prime opportunities for success and that encompasses the unique sounds and character of the city.

Summary of key actions areas:

1. Strengthening the music ecosystem
2. Collaborate with other UCCN cities
3. Champion Māori music on a world stage
4. Support music and creative networks in the Pacific region
5. Promote the use of music in public spaces
6. Value and preserve our music heritage.

About the Creative City: