Tallinn Music Week’s this year’s conference program features Pussy Riot, Robert Levine, Bob Stanley, and an opening by President Toomas Hendrik Ilves.

Tallinn Music Week (TMW), the annual music conference and showcase festival, has unveiled its most impressive line-up yet. From March 27-30, the Nordic and Baltic region’s premier music event will be buzzing with industry heavyweights, activists and journalists, as well as 227 bands from 20 countries.

Now in its sixth year, the TMW conference will kick off at 10 am on Friday, March 28, with an awaited opening speech by Toomas Hendrik Ilves, the President of Estonia ‒ and a passionate advocate for the role of music and culture in ensuring political freedom and progress.

This will be followed by a discussion on musicians against totalitarian rule with the members of Russian punk protest group Pussy Riot. The discussion will be led by Artemyi Troitsky, one of the most influential cultural figures in Russia.

This year’s keynote speaker is Robert Levine, former executive editor of Billboard magazine and author of “Free Ride”, which the New York Times Book Review called “a book that should change the debate about the future of culture”.

Other highlights include an interview with Kerli, the most successful Estonian pop act of all time. Her music has graced Tim Burton films, SXSW and Lollapalooza, and she co-wrote Demi Lovato’s #1 UK Christmas hit “Skyscraper”.

Olly Barnes (Rdio), Jonathan Forster (Spotify) and Mathieu Molinero (Deezer) will discuss the ways how streaming could stop the downfall of music business.

Kieron Tyler of the MOJO Magazine will interview Bob Stanley of Saint Etienne, an acclaimed musician and writer whose book “Yeah Yeah Yeah: The Story of Modern Pop” was picked as the music book of 2013 by the Sunday Times and Rough Trade.

Held at the Nordic Hotel Forum, TMW conference will provide a rich palette of sharp, insightful and lively panels and seminars. Copyright in the digital era, the future of streaming music, ways in whichbrands can collaborate with music events, and promotional opportunities forclassical artists and composers will be discussed. The conference will wrap up with the entertaining “Check My Demo” session where industry experts will give their honest feedback on recordings by some of the festival acts.

The full conference programme with topics and speakers is available here.