*Sjekkes mot framføring

Your Royal Highness, excellencies, dear Ultima, dear music-lovers!

“Ultima is one of the standout contemporary music festivals in the world, a model for musical meetings across boundaries, and radical open-mindedness.”

These words about Ultima are not mine, but they are the leading global music portal Bachtrack's description of this festival.

And they couldn’t be more right:

“A model for musical meetings across boundaries.”

Ultima truly is such a model.

This festival displays such diversity! In every way!

Like tonight, we are in a church.

Tomorrow: in a concert hall, a museum, a theatre, a club, and a library.

The festival invites audiences into creative processes.

And they show how contemporary music challenges boundaries and reflects our time.

Ultima is more than a festival – it’s a collective effort.

Founded in 1991 by 18 key cultural institutions from Oslo and Bergen, it seems like Ultima still thrives on this spirit of collaboration: each year, member institutions, freelancers, volunteers, and partners contribute in productions, ideas, and resources.

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Tonight we’ll hear an opening piece which truly manifests the heart of this festival.

City Lines is composed by British artist Joanna Bailie. She travelled across Oslos entire public transport network, recording sounds outside every station.

City Lines was written for Oslo Domkor. The recordings from Bailie form a musical landscape around the choir.

They reflect our daily movements:

Commuting to work, visiting friends, or simply wandering.

Music is a universal language.

No matter what your background looks like:

  • You can be moved to tears.
  • You can feel your heart open.
  • Or you can suddenly feel the urge to nod your head to the beat or move your feet to notes you’ve never heard before.

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Music is magic.

The pieces, the compositions, the performances are in themselves outstanding in their art and beauty.

But for me:

When artists meet their audience, something magical arises.

Every concert is different. Every audience is different.

But always we share the experience. 

We share a community. A fellowship.  

For a moment we belong to each other in this exact moment in time.

And Ultima gives everyone the possibility to experience this at Jernbanetorget. At one of the busiest squares of our city, there will be free concerts throughout the festival.

Ultima will give travellers and tourists,

young and old,

rich and poor

the possibility to be moved, to be touched,

to stomp their feet and broaden their musical horizons.

That is truly the most beautiful gift of all.

It really encompasses what a model for musical meetings across boundaries can be.

Thank you.