in brief
26.05.2021

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Bára Gísladóttir & Skúli Sverrisson: »Caeli«
Bára Gísladóttir og Skúli Sverrisson: »Caeli«. © Sono Luminus
Bára Gísladóttir og Skúli Sverrisson: »Caeli«. © Sono Luminus

En verden af iskold sol og helvedsblomster toner frem i Gísladóttirs musik; bredt hvislende droner sat over for kontrabassens på samme tid meditative og foruroligende botanisering. Det er storladent, men ukunstlet, en bombastisk ensartethed i en to timer lang raptus. »Solen størkner blodig, imedens den brænder,« som Baudelaire skrev.

Kun rent undtagelsesvis viger Gísladóttir og Sverrisson bort fra hovedsporet på Caeli, for eksempel med de klagende mågeskrig og konturerne af et strygerarrangement på »Caeli movendi sunt et terra«. For sproget er fundet, deres opgave er blot at lade det flyde. Hyl mod månen!

Jeg kan ikke lade være et krydslæse Gísladóttir – månens og den evige vinters besynger – med den soloptagede og lige så hyperproduktive digter Cecilie Lind: »Jeg er solen, der stod op om natten,« skriver hun i Mit barn, langdigtet om fødslen af den sorte sols baby og den personlige undergang spejlet i galaksens, »mor / mord / dødssol«.

Umuligt er det at fjerne blikket fra himmellegemer i kollaps, hvad end det er måne eller sol (ét fedt bag apokalyptiske briller). Og det er vel sådan, jeg lytter til Caeli og Gísladóttirs improvisatoriske partiturcirkler, som en myg fanget af det lys, der vil udslette den. Som en myg, der ser en komponist finde sit sprog og bade sig i den overflod af lyd, det taler.

© PR

»For me, music is incredibly important. It is music that reveals who I am and who I want to be. Music is my muse, my solace, and my paintbrush. It paints my state of mind, serves as a frequent topic of conversation among my friends, and – along with the lyrics – acts as my preferred form of expression. To me, music represents the colors and shapes of my life. I have a particular fondness for Danish artists such as C.V. Jørgensen, Elisabeth, Olesen-Olesen, Peter Sommer, and Gravens Rand.«

Søren Damm is an award-winning author known for the novels Transit, Melodrama, and Finland. He is also a singer and songwriter, having released, among other works, the album Håbet Er Den Største Last.

© Paw Ager

»For me, music is about curiosity and surprises – yet it’s also something in which you can feel right at home. Music resides within us all, in a physical way that sets it apart from any other art form. To me, music is something greater than the individual – something that will always outlive the individual. The good stuff, in other words ;) « 

Kaspar Kaae is an award-winning film composer, music producer, and songwriter, known for his work with bands such as CODY and Bug Chaser. He holds a Master’s degree in film composition from SDMK.  He has previously been a guitarist in a number of bands on the Danish indie scene, such as CODY, Broken Twin, and Bug Chaser. The latter is releasing the album My First Crippled Love in November. He was born in 1983 on Bornholm, but has lived in Copenhagen and Berlin throughout his adult life.

© PR

»Music is like a black hole that sucks you in and shoots you out on the other side of the universe.«

Francesco Rista is a guitarist working across classical and electric guitar. His recordings have been reviewed by international music magazines and broadcast on BBC and RAI Radio 3. After studying at the Royal Danish Academy of Music and Lund University, he focused on studio recordings, exploring guitar repertoire from the Baroque and Romantic periods to contemporary music, as well as the instrument’s varied tonal possibilities. Rista is currently based in Iceland, where he teaches guitar, composes music, and collaborates with contemporary composers.

 

© Villads Hoffmann
© Villads Hoffmann

Percussionist and composer David Hildebrandt is honoured for his virtuosic work with new music and his efforts to push the boundaries of what rhythm can be.

David Hildebrandt is among the recipients of this year’s honorary awards from the Wilhelm Hansen Foundation. He receives DKK 200,000 in recognition of his uncompromising work with new music and multi-percussion, as well as his ability to challenge conventional ideas about rhythm.

© Thor Brødreskift
© Thor Brødreskift
The 2026 Nordic Council Music Prize goes to Norwegian composers Kristine Tjøgersen and Benedicte Maurseth for Elja, a suite for the Kronos Quartet and Hardanger fiddle.
 
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