Organizers of the 4th IMC World Forum on Music

International Music Council

The International Music Council (IMC) is the world’s leading professional organisation dedicated to the promotion of musical diversity and musical rights. IMC was founded in 1949 at the request of the Director-General of UNESCO as a non-governmental advisory body to the agency on musical matters. It is based at UNESCO headquarters in Paris and functions today independently as an international NGO maintaining a formal associate relationship with UNESCO. In the course of its existence, IMC has developed into a highly influential network advocating for appropriate policies and practices aimed at strengthening the work of its members and partners worldwide.

IMC’s network is present in 150 countries on all continents, with national music councils and international, regional and national music organisations as well as specialised organisations in the field of arts and culture. IMC members of honour are chosen among the world’s outstanding professionals, educators, performers and composers. Through its members, IMC has direct access to over 1000 organisations and millions of persons eager to develop and share knowledge and experience on diverse aspects of musical life.

European Music Council

The European Music Council (EMC), a regional group of the International Music Council, is the umbrella organisation for musical life in Europe. It is a platform for National Music Councils and organisations involved in various fields of music from many European countries.

The EMC has 78 member organisations in 29 European countries; it acts as a stakeholder for the European music sector incorporating all kinds of musical genres on many different levels. It provides exceptional value to its membership by building knowledge, creating networking opportunities, supporting and enhancing the visibility of projects that help sustain people's participation in music and cultural life.

Estonian Music Council

Main activities of the Estonian Music Council are advocating and appraising Estonian music in all its modes of expression. It was founded in 1992 as a non-governmental organisation that serves as a representative body of Estonian musicians and is a member organisation of both the IMC and the EMC. The Estonian Music Council deals with and finds possible solutions to the most essential problems in music life. It acts as a mediator between foreign and Estonian music organisations trying to match the most suitable partners. One of the main goals of the Estonian Music Council is to bring together Estonian and international music organisations. Thus the Estonian Music Council mediates information about Estonian music circles to interested parties both inside and outside Estonia. The Estonian Music Council has 52 members, both institutions and professional musicians can become a member.

Estonian Academy of Music and Theatre

The Estonian Academy of Music and Theatre is a public university, which provides academic higher education to musicians, musicologists, music teachers and actors, directors and dramaturgs. In addition to traditional specialities of music and dramatic art, studies at the academy also include electronic music and cultural management, which, in essence, are interdisciplinary specialities: electronic music binds composition with music technology and multimedia, cultural management unites arts and economics. In addition to academic studies, the EAMT organizes in-service training for musicians and music teachers in Estonia. The studies at the EAMT have close ties to creative activities and research. Concerts and performances form an integral part of studies at the academy. Research is conducted in the fields of musicology, theatre studies, education sciences and cultural management.