Ladies and Gentlemen, distinguished guests.

I am pleased to welcome delegates from more than 40 music information centres around the world to the 2001 IAMIC conference in Norway.
The fact that Ringve Museum in Trondheim has been chosen as venue for the opening of the conference is - in my opinion - a signal that the understanding of the history of music and traditions is essential, also when discussing today’s technology and our modern forms of creation and performance. Ringve Museum is an important institution, with manifold focus on history of music. The museum receives most of its public grants from The Ministry of Cultural Affairs.

From these traditional and calm surroundings the conference will later move on to "Hurtigruta" - the ship which will take you along the Norwegian coast; may be not so calm, but still magnificent surroundings.

You will probably find out that the Norwegian nature has much in common with Norwegian music traditions: strong contrasts - peacefulness and raw wilderness.

For many people, Norwegian music is synonymous with the name of Edvard Grieg and the tunes of Ole Bull. Both Grieg and Bull were strongly influenced by Norwegian folk music.

Today Norwegian music is perhaps better identified with some of our great artists performing and thus promoting Norwegian jazz, folk music and classical music all over the world: the Oslo Philharmonic Orchestra, Leif Ove Andsnes, Jan Garbarek, Nils Petter Molvær and Mari Boine, to mention a few.

The peculiarities of folk music seem to have inspired Norwegian composers and musicians all the way.

Among all artistic expressions, music is the most abstract and - perhaps therefore - the most engaging one. Music, being an international language which is comprehensible for everyone, communicates without the spoken language.
It enables or provokes people to take a view. In my opinion music is the artistic expression, which addresses our imagination the most. Music is "the art of the moment".
It needs an interpreter to be made "real". Every interpretator has his or her own sound, their own colour. This is something that makes the presentation of music, not only the creation of it, deeply individual.
Music is living. Its rhythm is often used as a metaphor of the human being’s heartbeat.

Music adds value to people`s lives and contributes to a vital society. It also has an enormous economic and social impact. On the one hand music is among the earliest expressions of art, on the other, it is one of the most experimental art forms. Thus music serves as a link between the past, the present and the future.

Since its formal establishment in the early 1980s IAMIC has been a dynamic forum and is still developing as an organisation, working both for its individual member organisations - some of which have existed for more than half a century, while others have been only recently established - and as an international network. The Music Information Centre in Norway was established in 1978.

The IAMIC family displays many characteristics and values that are particularly important in a world that – in technological terms – is becoming rapidly smaller. IAMIC is bound together by a common purpose of each IAMIC member of documenting the musical life of their country. Although there are differences in the activities that each music information centre is involved in - ranging from pure documentation to efforts concerning the dissemination and promotion of music - the basic similarities and the possibilities of co-operation leads to a strengthening of the network.

The sharing of knowledge, expertise and experience across the network internationally, for the benefit of the members, provides a model for mutual understanding of the tasks and efforts that you are engaged in.

As within all co-operating networks and organisations, focusing on the differences between the members - in human or financial resources, in levels of technology employed etc - is not so important as to emphasise the obvious commonalties of shared goals, ideals and the opportunities for exchange and collaboration. This is an approach based on understanding and respect.

The Norwegian Music Information Centre was established on the initiative of The Society of Norwegian Composers. The Norwegian Ministry of Cultural Affairs has funded the centre since 1982. Our shared goal is to disseminate information about Norwegian music to a wide audience, both at the national and the international level. The centre in itself acts as a service organisation for Norwegian composers and performers.

It is a pleasure for me to note that Phonofile will be presented later in the programme. This is a complex system of music distribution on internet, securing the protection of copyrights. The project also aims to address markets in the developing countries.

The IAMIC network is considerably strengthened by developments in technology, and the resulting rapid access to information . The network is in a position to develop online access to the most diverse range of music data internationally. The conference program presents the opportunity for further discussions concerning the increasing impact of technology on your work in the music world.

I would like to pay tribute to the late director of our Norwegian Music Information Centre, Mr. Jostein Simble - both for his significant work on behalf of Norwegian musical life, and for his initiative leading to the conference now taking place in Norway.

This conference also provides the opportunity for all IAMIC members to enjoy some of the beauty of our country, and to listen to some of our music. I salute the staff of the Norwegian Music Information Centre for their efforts in organising this conference - a conference that I hope will contribute to the development of your international network.

I wish you good luck and hope you will have some interesting days!