Spotlight on South-Korea, unique collaborations and young talent
NIJMEGEN - The 39th edition of Music Meeting Festival will take place during the Pentecost weekend on 7, 8 and 9 June 2025 in Park Brakkenstein in Nijmegen, The Netherlands. Musical encounters and discoveries are central during the 3-day festival for music adventurers of all ages. During this edition, special attention is paid to music from South Korea, with drummer Sun-Mi Hong as artist in residence. In addition the festival offers space to young talent and musical discoveries from all over the world, such as the Colombian band La Chiva Gantiva, the French/Angolan singer Lúcia de Carvalho and the Dutch collective De Niemanders. Renowned artists with new projects are also welcomed back, such as Canzoniere Grecanico Salentino from Italy, the Finnish master-accordionist Kimmo Pohjonen and the Cameroonian bassist and singer Richard Bona.
Spotlight on South Korea
In 2025, Music Meeting will put the spotlight on South Korea. This country, where innovation and beauty are held in high regard, offers numerous musical surprises. On each festival day, there are several concerts by South Korean musicians, such as the Amsterdam-based South Korean drummer Sun-Mi Hong, who is our artist in residence: she brings three special projects to Music Meeting. We welcome two bands who are making their debut in The Netherlands: percussion trio Groove& and singer Eunsil Noh. Total South-Korean (side)program is announced soon.
Special collaborations
For almost 40 years, Music Meeting has offered premiers and unique collaborations. Grammy winner, bassist and singer Richard Bona welcomes Rotterdam singer Ntjam Rosie for a guest performance, Polish avant-garde jazz musician Wacław Zimpel collaborates with Indian musicians in the project Saagara, and star violinist Mauro Durante (from Canzoniere Grecanico Salentino) performs with British guitarist Justin Adams. The festival will close with De Niemanders, presenting a powerful performance in which music and stories come together, featuring musicians from various backgrounds, including (former) residents of asylum seekers' centers.
Music Meeting proudly presents Barencia: an extraordinary fusion of music, dance, traditions and unknown territories. This concert is part of EJN Green Pilot Tour.
Young talent in the spotlight
Every year, Music Meeting offers space to emerging talent. Escarteen Sisters, a Catalan-Belgian duo, bring a contemporary mix of folk and jazz. Starpeople, young musicians - discovered via an open call in Gelderland region - are now on stage at Music Meeting. Together with Space is the Place, we present South African bassist Zenzele Mthembu-Salter 'Ingoma Yesintu', a brand new project with a choir.
See full program on www.musicmeeting.nl
The additional side program (workshops, children's activities, meet-ups, interviews, etc.) will be announced later.
The 2025 program is curated by Martyna van Nieuwland, artist in residence Sun-Mi Hong, guest curator Jung Hun Lee and interim programmer Marieke Meischke.
Music Meeting Festival 2025 is made possible by: Performing Arts Fund NL, city of Nijmegen, province of Gelderland, Fonds21, Sounds of Europe/European Union, Sena Performers, Het Cultuurfonds, Buma Cultuur/inJazz, EJN Green Pilot Tours, Space is the Place and many other partners.
PROGRAM
Saturday 7 June: 4 PM – 12 AM
Eunsil Noh (South Korea/NL) | Cosmic Ear (Sweden) | Sun-Mi Hong Quintet (South Korea/NL) | Canzoniere Grecanico Salentino (Italy) | Saagara & Wacław Zimpel (India/Poland) | Groove& (South Korea) | Marmoucha Orchestra (NL) | Soweto Soul (South Africa)
Sunday 8 June 8: 2:00 PM – 12 AM
Zenzele Mthembu-Salter 'Ingoma Yesintu' (South Africa/NL) | Mauro Durante & Justin Adams (Italy/UK) | Lúcia de Carvalho (Angola/France) | Sun-Mi Hong - Alistair Payne - Jozef Dumoulin (South Korea/NL/France) | Kimmo Pohjonen (Finland) | Richard Bona (Cameroon/US) + guest Ntjam Rosie (Cameroon/NL) | Vołosi (Poland) | Tasuta N-Imal (Morocco) | Enji (Mongolia)
Monday June 9: 2 PM – 10 PM
Mats Gustafsson & Kimmo Pohjonen (Finland/Sweden) | Barencia (Spain/NL) | La Chiva Gantiva (Colombia/Belgium) | Starpeople (NL) | SORI & Sun-Mi Hong (South Korea/Germany/UK) | Escarteen Sisters (Spain/Belgium) | Eunsil Noh (South Korea) | De Niemanders (NL)
Additional side program will be announced later.
