CRESCENDO is a four-year artist development programme co-funded by the European Union’s Creative Europe programme. Its first Open Call was launched recently, and the response has already exceeded expectations, with a remarkable number of artists expressing interest in creating music and building international networks.
CRESCENDO brings together 12 independent music organisations from 10 European countries around a simple idea: bring together artists from different countries, form four new songwriting teams, give them eight intensive days to create together, and then present these collaborations on stage.
Three times a year, a new group of artists will meet for residencies held ahead of the following music industry events:
SoAlive – Sofia, Bulgaria (2025 aftermovie)
Viva Sounds – Gothenburg, Sweden (2025 aftermovie)
Riga Music Week – Riga, Latvia (2025 aftermovie)
The new music will be performed, recorded, released and developed internationally. Participating projects will receive support with publishing and rights, opportunities to pitch their music for synchronisation to an international network of music supervisors, radio promotion, circulation at European festivals, communications support and long-term career development.
Most importantly, the artists retain ownership of their masters.
THE SECOND RESIDENCY: RIGA
Riga, Latvia
27 October–3 November 2026
Final showcases at Riga Music Week
Twelve artists will work in four international groups of three, creating new material before performing it live for audiences and music industry professionals.
For the dedicated Baltic and North-Eastern European regional selection, four songwriters, producers or performing artists will be selected.
Regional application deadline for the Riga residency: 1 October 2026.
WHO IS THIS OPPORTUNITY FOR?
Songwriters. Producers. Performing artists.
People with their own artistic identity who are curious and courageous enough to step beyond its familiar boundaries.
Artists based in a Creative Europe country who want to collaborate internationally, develop new repertoire, enter new markets and build relationships that can continue long after the residency itself.
If you are a manager, booking agent, label or publisher representative, festival professional, music export office representative or another music industry professional, you probably know someone who should be among these participants.
EIGHT DAYS CAN BE THE START OF SOMETHING EXTRAORDINARY AND CAREER-CHANGING.
Over the four years of CRESCENDO, approximately 50 entirely new international musical side projects are expected to emerge, with opportunities for these collaborations to continue developing at partner showcases and elsewhere across Europe.
The first ones are about to be created.
→ DISCOVER CRESCENDO AND APPLY NOW
ABOUT CRESCENDO
“CRESCENDO. Write. Perform. Connect.” is a four-year European music collaboration programme that connects artists with new creative partners, audiences and professional networks through cross-border songwriting, live performance opportunities and long-term career development support.
The programme brings together 12 independent music organisations from 10 European countries:
Mermaids & Albatrosses Digital Distribution
Networking Music
Viva Sounds
SoAlive
Riga Music Week
WARM
.MUSIC
VALUNODE
Scarlet Bloom
Musicastrada Booking & Management
FMC – First Music Contact
FACTORY 92
Together, the CRESCENDO partners cover the entire artist development journey, from songwriting and live performance to international showcasing, distribution, rights management and publishing, synchronisation, radio promotion, digital infrastructure, capacity building, communications and international audience development.
CO-FUNDED BY THE EUROPEAN UNION
CRESCENDO is co-funded by the European Union under the Creative Europe programme.
Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are, however, those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor EACEA can be held responsible for them.
