In the cities there are concert halls and music complexes with classical music on their programmes. Among the largest and best known are the concert halls at Tivoli, in Aalborg, Aarhus, Holstebro, Esbjerg, Vejle, Odense and Radiohusets Concert Hall. In the provinces, concerts are held at castles and manor houses, and in summer in the open air.

Danish classical music festivals include Music Harvest in Odense, chamber music festivals, organ festivals, church music, and more. The classical core repertoire is naturally central, but the festivals also embrace avant-garde and other modern music, especially Danish music. The Numus Festival in Aarhus is a festival for new music.

The established stages for musical drama are The Royal Danish Opera (at the Royal Danish Theatre) and Jutland Opera, housed at the Concert Hall – Aarhus, but which also tours the country. In addition there are experimental companies such as Den Anden Opera, Musikteatret Undergrund, Holland House, Hotel Pro Forma and more.

Denmark’s musical history enjoyed an early bloom in the music of the court of King Christian IV, during the transition between Renaissance and early Baroque music. However, the heyday of Danish classical music proper did not arrive until the end of the 18th century. The Tivoli Gardens, with their Concert Hall, were pivotal for music from the very beginning in 1843, and retains a unique appeal for people from all over the world.

Denmark’s great national composer is Carl Nielsen (1865-1931). Although descended from Funen peasantry, he soon rose to become one of the most prominent figures in Danish music. Uniting the Danish classical idiom with international modern music, he composed both modern classical music and simple Danish songs, being at once both Danish though-and-through yet with an interest in tradition from the rest of the world. At the Museum of Music History in Copenhagen, visitors can take a historical tour of Europe’s musical instruments and Danish musical tradition.