All concerts @ 7 pm, Saturday, March 2, Monday, March 4, Thursday, March 7, & Thursday, March 14, 2013
$15 ($10 ASF Members); Series pass: $45 ($30 ASF Members)
This February and March, the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. presents Nordic Cool 2013, a month-long international festival that asks “What is ‘Nordic’?” and celebrates the diversity of the Nordic region. Thanks to this festival, Scandinavia House is afforded the exciting opportunity to present some of these thrilling musical acts in New York City.
Nordic Sessions
March 2
Based in the Faroe Islands, Nordic Sessions was founded by composer and bassist Mikael Blak and his father, pianist Kristian Blak, a 2011 nominee of the Nordic Council Music Prize. The ensemble works to draw ideas from ethnic material and their improvisation ranges from free to classical styles.
Nordic Session’s members have varied musical backgrounds, mainly in jazz, but also in ethnic, folk, rock, and classical music.
Skaran
March 4
Skaran charms audiences around the world with their fascinating instruments, contagious groove, and energetic presence. The explosive trio – including Emilia Amper, nyckelharpa; Jonas Bleckman, cello; and Anna Roussel, wooden flute – plays traditional Swedish tunes along with its own compositions bursting with attitude and joy.
Emilia Amper is one of the leading players of traditional Swedish instrument the nyckelharpa, or “keyed fiddle.” In 2010 she won the Nyckelharpa World Championship and in 2011 Spellemannsprisen (the Norwegian Grammy). Amper was also nominated in 2010 for two (American) Grammy Awards together with The Trondheim Soloists, Gjermund Larsen and 2L. Cellist Jonas Bleckman has rapidly established himself on the Scandinavian folk scene as well as in other genres like pop/rock, jazz, and world music. Originally from Brittany, France, Anna Roussel is also a composer of Breton, Irish, and Swedish folk music.
The Reykjavík Wind Quintet
March 7
Based in the world’s northernmost capital, in the land of volcanoes, glaciers, and the midnight sun, The Reykjavík Wind Quintet is an internationally-acclaimed ensemble consisting of key players from the Iceland Symphony Orchestra. In March they will perform a concert of works including Þorkell Sigurbjörnsson’s Hræra (1988), Samuel Barber’s Summer Music for Wind Quintet, Op.31 (1955), Five Antique Hungarian Dances (1961) by Ferenc Farkas, Trois Pièces Brèves (1930) by Jacques Ibert, and Carl Nielsen’s Wind Quintet, Op. 43 (1922).
Established in 1981, The Reykjavík Wind Quintet is comprised of Hallfríður Ólafsdóttir, flute; Daði Kolbeinsson, oboe; Einar Jóhannesson, clarinet; Jósef Ognibene, horn; and Darri Mikaelsson, bassoon. The quintet is among the most prominent and active participants in Iceland’s vibrant musical community. Making its reputation both at home and abroad, they have performed at major music festivals in a wide variety of venues throughout Europe, Asia, North America, and Australia. Their travels have taken them to some of the world’s most renowned concert houses, including Carnegie Hall, Wigmore Hall, and the Sydney Opera House, as well as to the Schleswig-Holstein, Cheltenham, and Flanders Festivals. As cultural ambassadors for Iceland, The Reykjavík Wind Quintet has accompanied former Icelandic President Vigdís Finnbogadóttir on state visits abroad and appeared in command performances for such foreign dignitaries as Queen Elizabeth II of Great Britain, the Grand Duke of Luxembourg, and King Juan Carlos of Spain.
The quintet’s repertoire varies in style from the early classics to contemporary, including all of the standard masterpieces. Many composers have written specifically for the group, including popular works based on Icelandic folk music. Through the years, their recordings for BBC, ABC (Australia) and on BIS, Chandos, and other labels have received critical acclaim in the prestigious Gramophone and Penguin Guides to Classical CDs.
Olli Hirvonen Quartet
ASF Fellows Concert
March 14
Olli Hirvonen Quartet plays original compositions by the bandleader, hand-picked standards, and even some arrangements of popular Finnish songs.
Olli Hirvonen is a Finnish jazz guitarist, who was nominated for the Artist of the Year at the Pori Jazz Festival (2011). A graduate of the Sibelius Academy, he is pursuing his Master's degree at the Manhattan School of Music in New York City, where he is also an ASF Fellow. Hirvonen has performed in New York, Estonia, the United Kingdom, and the Netherlands. His new international quartet plays music that is distinctively modern, influenced by rock, jazz, and R&B, as well as 21st-century classical music, and contemporary art and literature, and features Frederick Menzies, tenor saxophone; Jeff Koch, bass; and Philippe Lemm, drums.
Co-presented by the Finlandia Foundation, New York Metropolitan Chapter.
