Per Kviman & Virpi Immonen elected as Chair & Vice-Chair of EMMA
“It’s time to seize our moment and put artist’s rights at the heart of European music policy”
FRIDAY SEPTEMBER 21st
The European Music Managers Alliance (EMMA) has announced that Per Kviman and Virpi Immonen have been elected as the organisation’s first Chair and Vice-Chair at the new organisation’s first formal Board meeting at Reeperbahn festival.
Per is CEO of Stockholm-based Versity Music and Chair of MMF Sweden. Virpi is CEO of the Helsinki-based Fullsteam Management, Chair of MMF Finland, and music supervisor for the upcoming Moomin TV animation.
Both Per and Virpi will serve a minimum two-year term. EMMA’s inaugural Chair, Keith Harris, will stand down with immediate effect.
Speaking before a meeting of more than 50 music managers from over 20 countries such as Germany, Denmark, Poland, UK, Netherlands, Belgium, Russia, Switzerland, Canada, Palestine and Australia, Per said:
“I am honoured to serve as EMMA’s first Chair, and would like to thank Keith Harris in particular for his guidance and expertise. This organisation was established in response to some fundamental changes in our business, and to reflect the plain fact that artists and their representatives must now be at the forefront of discussions about the future of music. It’s time to seize our moment and put artist and creator rights at the heart of European music policy.”
Virpi Immonen added:
“How inspirational to be elected at Reeperbahn, surrounded by music managers from around Europe and the rest of the world. Through EMMA I look forward to building these connections, and ensuring we not only have a powerful unified voice for our artist clients, but also a pathway to greater sharing of skills, knowledge and ideas.”
A photo of Per & Virpi at Reeperbahn can be downloaded here.
Launched in April 2018, EMMA was established to ensure that creators’ representatives throughout Europe can have closer involvement in the discussions and decisions that impact future direction of the global music business.
The organisation brings together music manager representative bodies from Finland, France, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Sweden and the UK – with links to allied manager organisations in Australia, Canada, New Zealand and South Africa. Membership is open to individual managers in European territories. In total, EMMA will collectively represent over 800 managers across Europe, and another 600 worldwide with an initial focus is on three specific objectives:
- Fair licensing and remuneration for artists in the digital marketplace
- Greater input from creators’ representatives in European public policy
- To promote information-sharing, research, training and professional networks for European music managers.
For more details on how to get involved in EMMA contact: Agnieszka Cyganska, agnieszka@emma.community
About EMMA:
The European Music Managers Alliance (EMMA) brings together music manager representative bodies from the UK, France, Sweden, Netherlands, Poland, Norway and Finland – with links to similar organisations in Australia, Canada, New Zealand and South Africa. In total, EMMA will collectively represent over 800 managers across Europe, and another 600 worldwide.
About Per:
Per Kviman is the CEO of Stockholm based management Versity Music and the Chair of MMF Sweden. Versity was founded in 2003, with UK manger Andy Farrow as one of the partners – the company currently represents Watain, Backyard Babies, Takida, Entombed AD, Stiftelsen and Norwegian Shining.
Prior to founding Versity, Per ran Wire Records with Harry Magee (Modest! Management) in the 1980s, Scandinavia’s first alternative label with complete European distribution set up for Swedish artists
In the 1990s Per managed MVG Records, before joining RCA Records in London as A&R where he signed acts such as HIM, Waterboys, Skindred and Johnny Borrell (Razorlight).
About Virpi:
Virpi Immonen is the CEO of the Helsinki-based artist management company Fullsteam Management, as well as music supervisor for the upcoming Moomin TV-animation. She is also the Chair of the board of Music Managers Forum Finland and was winner of the prestigious Finnish Industry Awards’ Manager of the Year in 2011, 2012 & 2013. Fullsteam Management represents a wide variety of artists ranging from Finland’s biggest pop and rock acts, to some of the country’s most interesting indie and alternative bands.