Andreas Sønning is a professor at the Norwegian Academy of Music (1987-) and a visiting professor at several universities in Norway and across Europe. Since 2010 he has been part of the building and running of several EU-funded networks for renewing higher music education and implementing innovation and entrepreneurial projects on a transversal basis. Sønning has also toured as a flute soloist and chamber musician and worked as an artistic director throughout the last 30 years in a. o.
Scandinavia, Russia, Ukraine, Japan, France, Germany, Hungary, Montenegro, Slovakia, and the USA – often premiering new works for the instrument.
He has undertaken projects in over 28 countries with performing organisations such as the Kennedy Center and National Gallery, Washington DC, Schleswig Holstein Musik Festival, The Musée des Beaux-Arts in Lille (France), Le Grande Salle, Hôtel des Invalides Paris, Le Phare, Tournefeuille, Artistic director partnering Pierre Bleuse for the MusikAToulouse festival, France, The Norwegian Radio Symphony Orchestra and the New Japan Symphony Orchestra. Since 1994 he has been the artistic director for his own production company, Sønning Music Performance, SMP. With his company, he has been in charge of building festivals in Norway and France and developed cultural programs for international cultural institutions, Norwegian authorities and multinational companies like Telenor, Nordea, Total E&P Norway, and Hydro. With a concept called "The Integrated Model," he has, with his long-term private sector partner Telenor (1994-), received several prizes as the European Award for Partnerships in Arts and Business, Brussels 2004 and the Award for Equal Partnerships, Arts & Business Oslo 2009. Sønning is a Member of the Agder Academy of Sciences and Letters.
Sønning's approach to teaching and learning supports the students in developing new ideas and production concepts through the artistic development of the program composition, including rehearsals and performance practices. Where possible, the musical productions connect to real entrepreneurial practice for the students, including establishing value chains (diversified competence teams) and value systems (including income sources such as funds and paying customers/audiences.) Sønning draws on real cases from personal and professional experience to illustrate possibilities and challenges related to artistic development, planning processes, project management and interdisciplinary teamwork. His presentations also nurture and identify key research issues for further understanding and development regarding education for entrepreneurship in music.
Sønning is the author of the academic textbook: 'Creative Concert Production and Entrepreneurship: Concert Dramaturgy and Project Development for the Performing Arts, Routledge NY, 2024.'
Publications
- Workshop: Creative Entrepreneurship. 2024