Day 1
NORDIC FOLK CONTEMPORARY

Is there a connection between a country’s oldest and newest music? Judge for yourself when Nordic Music Days 2010 kicks off with a night of both new music, folk music and jazz music.

The opening night of the Festival offers two concerts with Athelas Sinfonietta Copenhagen, the leading new music ensemble in Denmark. Among other works, Athelas Sinfonietta Copenhagen will - under the baton of chief conductor Pierre-André Valade - be giving a performance of the recognised composer Kaija Saariaho and perform a work by the composer Malin Bång for instruments including a mobile phone, a milk frother, a book about Gustav Mahler, etc.

The young musicians of the Gáman will be presenting a concert where they juxtapose gripping Nordic folk music and dramatic newly written art music. Also, experience the Danish National Girls Choir in a moving work about loss of memory by Bent Sørensen and beautiful solo works featuring the Finnish kantelist Eija Kankaanranta.

Three of this evening’s composers will be talking about their music in a late-night talkshow hosted by musician, producer and critic Henrik Marstal. The evening will be rounded off with a jazz/folk lounge featuring Stina Hellberg Trio. Stina Hellberg is the only harpist in Scandinavia holding a degree in jazz, and this evening her trio will be performing with several of Scandinavia’s leading folk musicians.