Speakers

Ladislav Snopko

Ladislav Snopko is the former Slovakian Minister of Culture, and the author of the film Music + Revolution = The Velvet Revolution. This film tells the story of the role of music during the Velvet Revolution in 1989 in the former Czechoslovakia. Ladislav Snopko was also one of the main participants in the Velvet Revolution in Czechoslovakia and leader of the "Hello Europe" march in December 1990, where thousands of people from Bratislava marched across the defunct Iron Curtain and into Austria. Mr. Snopko wrote the film, and he selected historical material as well, not only from the performances of the Velvet Revolution but also in a wider world context where music was a driving force of revolutionary change.

Åse Kringstad

Åse Kringstad is the leader of the Virke Producers Association, which organizes independent production companies within film, series, documentary, advertising, animation, television entertainment and computer games. She has a background from the public sector, with extensive experience within film, games and media policy at the Ministry of Culture. Åse Kringstad has a degree in media studies from the University of Oslo, and management from BI.

Thea Paulsrud

Thea Paulsrud is a musician, songwriter, bandleader and musicologist, with a specialization in industry knowledge and entrepreneurship in music. Her everyday life often consists of being on the road with her own bands, as a vocalist in project concerts or as a chorister for others - in combination with songwriting sessions in both constellations. Paulsrud is otherwise passionate about musicians' working conditions and everyday work and is constantly searching for how an independent musician in Norway today can play as much as possible and still be able to sleep well without too many financial worries. This has led her to many a study on the topic, and as a musicologist she has therefore taken part in a handful of research projects. When Thea is not playing, writing music or booking emails, she works in a part-time position at the Music Office, where she is responsible for social media. She is also the secretariat for the Norwegian Music Industry Council.

Mats Andersen

Mats has worked in the film industry for 20 years and has a background in graphic design, color grading and visual effects. He works both nationally and internationally and has won awards for his work on other people's films. "What We Talk About When We Talk About Music" is his first feature-length documentary. Here he combines his lifelong passion for music and his professional life with making pictures.

Sondre Lerche

Sondre Lerche is one of Norway's most prominent and diverse international pop artists so far this millennium. He is the rare artist who made his debut as a precocious teenager, and yet has continued to develop towards ever new artistic heights. Most recently with the double album "Avatars Of Love" (2022), which was described as "one of the best Norwegian albums of all time" by NRK's reviewer and received the Spellemannprisen for Alternative Pop/Rock Album of the Year, in addition to a host of nominations and other awards. British UNCUT Magazine gave "Avatars of Love" nine out of ten stars and compared Lerche favorably to Cole Porter, Leonard Cohen, Tom Jobim and Paddy McAloon, and Lerche once again toured the world with his unique auteur pop. His debut album "Faces Down" (2001) received the Spellemann Prize for Newcomer of the Year in 2002 and was also named one of the year's best releases by the American Rolling Stone Magazine and several other American music magazines. Lerche has since toured extensively throughout the world, and especially the United States, where he lived from 2005 to 2020. He has performed on David Letterman's Late Night show twice, and in addition to 10 studio albums and many EPs, has composed film music for the American blockbuster "Dan in Real Life" (Juliette Binoche, Steve Carell, Dianne Wiest), as well as the Sundance indie film "The Sleepwalker". In recent years, Lerche has also distinguished himself as a musical essayist with the collection "Alle sanger handler om deg", as well as several children's books. In January 2025, Sondre Lerche and his 52-person ensemble performed a completely out of the ordinary performance at the Norwegian Opera & Ballet. The career-summing-up concert was divided into two chronological acts and performed to two sold-out houses, in what was a dizzying musical and visual marathon performance both on stage and backstage. Dagsavisen gave it 6 out of 6 and called it "an astonishing evening". Popklikk described the concert as "an absolutely extraordinary performance". Audun Vinger in Tidens Ånd concluded: "There are not many Norwegian artists, sorry: musicians who could have gotten away with such a performance and effort with the same elegant ease". Earlier this year, Lerche also released another critically acclaimed release, this time in the form of "Sea of Sighs", a collection of instrumental and minimalist compositions. For the rest of 2025 he is working on recording his next album.

Jonas Ulleland

Jonas Ulleland is an economist and musicologist with an interdisciplinary academic interest between music and cognitive psychology. He works at the Norwegian Film Association with the distribution of remuneration to film workers and the development of digital solutions. He also plays saxophone in the Psych-punk band Dødsego and offers musical services to the event industry through the brand Dj Jax on the Sax. He has previously worked in sales/logistics/IT at Elkjøp, data management at UIO, administration at Gramo and the Norwegian Dramatists' Association.

Sverre Brandtzæg

Sverre Brandtzæg is a producer with a broad background in film, TV and music. He has produced a wide range of productions for NRK, among others, and worked with artists such as Gåte, Trondheimsolistene, Ragnhild Hemsing, Gjermund Larsen and Fay Wildhagen. His projects range from music videos and concert films to documentaries and stage performances, often with a clear artistic expression and a strong foundation in Norwegian cultural heritage and nature.

Pål Bugge Haagenrud

Cinematographer Pål Bugge Haagenrud, FNF has worked behind the camera on film and TV drama series for over forty years. He won the Gullrutens Fagpris as chief photographer on EXIT and has also been chief photographer on series such as Dag, Beforeigners, Lilyhammer and Swedish Dicks. He has taught at the Lillehammer Film School and Kristiania University College. Haagenrud is co-owner of Moviebird AS which supplies Technokraner and U-crane systems for car filming on Mission Impossible, James Bond and Harry Hole. 2nd Unit Photographer and co-director on Harry Hole, Marekors/The Devils Star.

Denisa Frelichova

Career diplomat, former Ambassador of Slovakia to Norway and Iceland (2017-2021), currently serves as Secretary-General of the National Commission for UNESCO in Slovakia. Graduate of Hutchison College Preparatory School for Girls in Memphis, Tennessee, she studied language at the Faculty of Arts at Masaryk University in Brno, Czech Republic and International Law and Diplomacy at Comenius University in Bratislava. Growing up in the communist Czechoslovakia, she dedicated her professional career to promoting effective multilateralism based on respect for human rights, democracy and rule of law, principles that are essential for achieving sustainable peace, prosperity, and security in the face of global challenges. After the Velvet Revolution split of Czechoslovakia, she joined the newly established Slovak Foreign Service. After multiple postings representing her country in the United Nations, she served as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary in Norway and Iceland where she worked on strengthening the bilateral ties with particular emphasis on culture, education and business. Inspired by the Nordic model based on fairness, tolerance and equality, strong social safety net, high levels of social trust, and a focus on gender equality as coordinator for diversity, equality and inclusion in her own foreign service, the first such position within the Slovak public service ever. She also served as Director-General for Protocol, Communication, Public Diplomacy, Consular Services and Internal Audit. In her current position as Secretary-General of the Slovak National Commission for UNESCO, Denisa promotes UNESCO as the laboratory of ideas of the United Nations, a unique forum for dialogue, generating knowledge and shaping global policy for peaceful and prosperous future for all.

Jarle Savio

Jarle Savio is a strategic advisor at Popkontoret AS, Country Manager for the distributor DMG, runs the record label TBC Records, lectures on the music industry at UIA and works daily to help artists and record labels build good plans for releases. Previously, he has been a concert organizer, booking agent, manager of by:Larm live, A&R manager at EMI Music and worked with distribution at Phonofile.

Dag Hoel

Dag Hoel is Norwegian film producer and author who has won several international and Norwegian prizes for his documentaries. He won the Crystal Heart Award at the Heartland International Film Festival for his film Blod og Ære. He also co-produced the film Tusen Bitar about the Swedish singer songwriter Bjørn Afzelius.

Annette Lindahl Raakli

Annette Lindahl Raakli is the deputy mayor of Østfold County Municipality and former county councillor for planning, climate and environment, and leader of the planning committee in Viken. She represents the Centre Party (Senterpartiet) and has been group leader for the party in Moss. Annette Lindahl Raakli has a bachelor's degree in economics and administration from NMBU - Norwegian University of Life Sciences in Ås and is currently on leave from the Ministry of Local Government and Regional Development.

Per Ole Hagen

Per Ole Midgardsblot (Helge Lund) beskåret 20082022 (1).jpg

Per Ole Hagen is a musicologist and associate professor, and has worked for NRK as music director and music rights manager, and as information manager for the National Concerts. He has taught music at several levels: music school, middle school and high school (Hartvig Nissen), and has taught the history of rock and the music industry at the University of Oslo. He has also published several books about music, including two textbooks on rock and pop music for middle school and high school. In recent years, he has been a photographer for Getty Images and has had several photo exhibitions with concert photos in Norway and abroad.

Pernille Jørgensen

Pernille is an advisor to the Halden Municipality Cultural Department. Her heart is in the Halden as a city of culture, where she herself grew up and later returned home after studying and working away from her city. In addition to being an advisor, she is also a producer for Kulturnatt in Halden. She previously worked as a producer at Opera Østfold and has a background in theater and festival production. With a current master's degree in organization and management, as well as education in Cultural Management and Theater, she combines professional weight with a passion for culture. She is passionate about the power of culture to bring people together and create development.