2011/1

2011 / 1

This year began with the performance of Atloid 601 at the Fresh Winds Festival in the small town of Garður, SW-Iceland. As other atloids, this is an open form based on certain preorganised patterns, but the instrumentation was inspired by available local forces and instrumentarium: Handbells, quartertone stone-marimba and male chorus. See extract in this video. Turned out as a long, ritual like performance, quite different from other things I have done.

Last autumn saw the performance of Forgotten Step in three places in Iceland and in Copenhagen by the Gáman trio. After hearing their splendid performance I decided to write another piece for this particular instrumentation, but the result still lacks a title. Other performances I have news of are the Helsinki premiere of Flecte Lapis II, due in March, by the Defun ensemble, and the premiere of the clarinet duet born out of Orgoras Speaks, scheduled in Berlin in May, from the reeds of the Zelinsky-Smeyers duo. Accordeonist Andreas Borregaard is about to program Radioflakes in Amsterdam.

At present, besides finishing the clarinet duet, I am working on the first sketches for a short orchestra piece commissioned by the Cottbus orchestra in Germany, and preparing to dive into the theatre project with the Cinnober Theater in Gothemburg. We are hoping to be able to stage it next season, but this is not yet certain.

I was very happy to receive a commission for a piano concerto from Víkingur Heiðar Ólafsson, young Icelandic virtuoso, and that piece will hopefully occupy my desk from late summer.