The Aga Khan Trust for Culture, the cultural agency of the Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN), has created the Aga Khan Music Programme (AKMP).  Effective immediately, all existing activities of the Aga Khan Music Initiative and Aga Khan Music Awards are consolidated under the new program, whose headquarters will remain in Geneva, according to AKDN.  

The mission of the Aga Khan Music Programme is to foster the development of living musical heritage in societies across the world where Muslims have a significant presence, and disseminate this work internationally through collaborations with exceptionally creative musicians, artists, educators, and arts presenters.

AKMP will assume the former Music Initiative’s leadership role as an innovator in music and arts education; music commissioning, production and publication; and musical heritage documentation and revitalization.  Aligning the activities of the Music Initiative and Music Awards under a single umbrella program will create synergies among projects and people.

Laureates of the Music Awards will be incorporated into the music program’s existing education network. 

Recall, the Gurminj Museum last year became laureate of the Aga Khan Music Awards in the Preservation, Revitalization and Dissemination category.  

A newly created music publishing arm will manage intellectual property rights for recordings, publications, educational materials, music compositions, and films developed by or featuring educators and artists across AKMP’s areas of activity.

Speaking at the inaugural ceremony of the Aga Khan Music Awards, in 2019, His Highness the Aga Khan noted that “Music can be a strong cultural anchor, deepening a sense of community, identity and heritage, while simultaneously reaching out in powerful ways to people of different backgrounds.”  

The Aga Khan Music Programme will comprise five interrelated programmatic domains: Aga Khan Music Awards; Education and Mentoring; Creation and Performance; Production, Documentation, and Dissemination; and Online Projects and Digital Archive.