This summer, Danish summer festivals will be focusing on and celebrating Wilhelm Hansen composers.
2022 marks several anniversaries. Hans Abrahamsen will celebrate his 70th birthday, Per Nørgård will celebrate his 90th birthday and Poul Rovsing Olsen would have celebrated his 100th birthday.
Nordisk Kammermusikfestival
July 25 – 29, Hillerød
Chamber music is celebrated in this charming idyllic festival set in an old højskole, north of Copenhagen.
Nordisk Kammermusikfestival will celebrate Per Nørgård with an accordion themed concert curated by accordionist Bjarke Mogensen.
Nørgård has been celebrated all year and will continue to be celebrated. Discover how here.
The festival will also be reintroducing post-romantic and expressionistic composer Leopold van der Pals. Van der Pals was a Swiss composer known for his vocal compositions and orchestral works.
Discover his music through this wonderful recording of his Symphony no.1. Listen here.
Oremandsgaard Kammermusikfest
July 27 – 31, Præstø
Hans Abrahamsen is this year’s composer-in-residence at Oremandsgaard Kammermusikfest 2022.
The festival is celebrating his 70th birthday with four incredible concerts and the Danish premiere of his transcription of Schubert’s Moments Musicaux, Four pieces from Moments Musicaux.
This also marks Abrahamsen’s return to the festival. The festival was founded in 1989 by Daniel Hage in close collaboration with the composer.
The celebration of Abrahamsen and his music will continue throughout 2022, with three country premieres of Vers le silence; the Danish premiere of Concerto for Horn and Orchestra; and the world premiere of his Gitanjali-Hymner at the Rued Langgaard Festival.
Rudersdal Sommerkoncerter
August 7 – 28
Poul Ruders is this year’s festival composer at Rudersdal Sommerkoncerter together with Katia Tchemberdji.
Five wonderfully curated concerts, with a selection of Ruders’ chamber works, performed by the festival ensemble Rudersdal Chamber Players, Warsaw String Ensemble and Esbjerg Ensemble, with accordionist Frode Andersen and pianist Pål Eide.
An exquisite festival, while waiting for the British premiere of Poul Ruders’ Harpsichord Concerto October 6-8, 2022 in Scotland with the Royal Scottish National Orchestra and Mahan Esfahani, under the direction of Thomas Søndergård. And the return of his opera The Handmaid’s Tale to the Royal Danish Opera, October 29 – November 12, 2022
Late Summer Festival
August 15 – 21, Hvide Sande
2022 marks the 100th anniversary of Poul Rovsing Olsen’s birth and Late Summer Festival is celebrating.
Danish composer and ethnomusicologist, Rovsing Olsen, was fascinated by Arabic and Oriental music. His music is a journey through far away lands, a unique contribution to Nordic Modernism.
(July 2022)
