The first-ever music conference of its kind will be launched in Saudi Arabia’s capital Riyadh; Helen Sildna, the founder of the Tallinn Music Week, is one of the advisers of the event, taking place from 13 – 15 December.
The event, titled XP Music Conference, is run by a diverse international team of professionals across the Middle East, Europe, the US and beyond. Organised by MDLBEAST, a regional platform for fresh talent and culture, the event brings together music industry players to support the region’s music and cultural ecosystem.
“It is a country where just a few years ago, music was prohibited in public spaces, so the transformation, excitement and gravity of this venture are tremendous,” Sildna, who serves on the advisory board of the conference, said in a statement.
“I was involved in this organisation because I have launched an international music industry event in an emerging market of Estonia. This is a recognition of the work and dedication of the Tallinn Music Week team, and we look forward to promoting the fresh sounds of Saudi Arabia also at Tallinn Music Week 2022,” she added.
Sildna will also participate in the discussion panel “How Music Can Put a City on the Global Map” at the XP conference.
A big focus for the event is promoting diversity and wellbeing, empowering women and giving a voice to minority groups within the industry, a representative of the Tallinn Music Week said.
The Tallinn Music Week was founded by Sildna in 2009. The annual festival showcases emerging artists from all over Europe and beyond, provides a networking platform for music and creative industry professionals and introduces the city of Tallinn.
Cover: Helen Sildna. Photo by Aron Urb.
