rettetdasmusikprotokoll.mur.at

I represent Skanu Mezs Festival for Adventurous Music in Riga, Latvia. We have had contact with Musikprotokoll since 2003. Since the very first contact with one if it's representatives - journalist Susanna Niedermayr who was at the time writing a book on East-Central European experimental music, I got the impression of a solid institution that deals with music with both confidence and subtlety, both competence and curiosity. The festival has been not just a major source of information about new Austrian music, but also a window of opportunity for young Latvian - and other East-Central European -  artists that have not been noticed elsewhere in the predominantly Anglo-Saxon experimental music world. When talking about Skaņu Mežs itself, our festival was started in 2003 actually as a showcase for select Austrian experimental musicians. Since then there have been Austrian musicians at every single Skaņu Mežs festival. I have always wondered why it is so that Austria, despite not being a large country, has such a strong presence on experimental music scene. I later realized that it is partly due to activities of Musikprotokoll. Those times are mired in an increasing extinction of non-commercial art initiatives due to the cost cutting and my opinion is that it is important that a cultural institution like ORF stands against this unfortunate and far reaching trend. Who else has strength to do it if not such respectable media institutions? I see Musikprotokoll as a true European asset - an institution that promotes culture of experimentation and openness to change while simultaneously holding on to tradition. Musikprotokoll has always taken idiosyncratic and original musical choices and thereby forming and supporting the ever evolving new music scene that has become a solid part of modern European heritage. That artistic selection makes Musikprotokoll a more valuable festival among many peers.