Up North!
Up North! is a major new festival of Nordic and Irish Contemporary which is presented by Crash Ensemble in association with Project Arts Centre, Music Network and RTE's Lyric FM. The festival takes place in Dublin in December 5th - 8th.
Up North is a true festival collaboration between Nordic and Irish performers and composers. Nine composers (four Irish and five Nordic) have been commissioned to write new works and each of the works will be performed by ensembles from the other side of the Nordic / Irish partnership. Over the course of four days, over 50 works will be performed, 13 of which will be world premieres – more than half of the music in the festival has been written in the 21st Century.
Five Nordic composers have been commissioned to write for Irish performing groups. Dane Ejnar Kanding writes multi-media work (including electronics and video) for Crash Ensemble (Ireland) and Icelandic Hilmar Thordarson writes an ensemble work also for Crash. Kent Olofsson (Sweden) writes a song cycle for voice, electronics and ensemble for Concorde (Ireland). Finnish composer Kimmo Hakola writes his third string quartet for the Callino Quartet (Ireland) and 0yvind Torvund from Norway will compose a work incorporating improvisation and noise art for Whispering Gallery (Ireland).
In return, four Irish composers are writing for four visiting Nordic ensembles. Donnacha Dennehy (Artistic Director of Crash Ensemble) writes a work for ensemble and electronics for Contemporanea from Denmark. Kevin Volans writes his seventh string quartet for the contemporary music specialists, the Norwegian Cikada Quartet. Ian Wilson writes a work for the highly acclaimed Avanti! Ensemble (Finland) and Jennifer Walshe writes a choral work for the Rilke Ensemble (Sweden).
As well as concerts, Up North! also features, discussions and open rehearsals involving featured composers and performers. Up North also hosts a unique collaboration between Irish jazz guitarist, Mark O'Leary and the Norwegian Cikada Quartet, in a free improvisation concert.
Up North is funded jointly by The Arts Council/An Chomhairle Ealaíon and Network North, the cultural project of the Nordic Council of Ministers. Festival commissions are funded by The Arts Council and NOMUS - the Nordic Music Committee.
For further information see: www.crashensemble.com/upnorth
Headlines:
Himmelkvad
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I was the devil in my younger years
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