New works by Maja S. K. Ratkje and Outi Tarkiainen will be premiered in Gothenburg on February 21, 2024.
For the immersive concert experience "Nordic - A Fragile Hope", Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra (Göteborgs Symfoniker) has commissioned orchestral works from five prominent composers from all Nordic countries, Daníel Bjarnason (Iceland), Miho Hazama (Denmark), Mats Larsson Gothe (Sweden), Maja S. K. Ratkje (Norway) and Outi Tarkiainen (Finland).
Drawing inspiration from the Nordic nature, each commission in "Nordic - A Fragile Hope" serves as a poignant reminder of the delicate balance and sensitive resources found in the Nordic region and the problems with climate change. The unique concert experience is created in collaboration with photo journalist Joakim Odelberg and film director Andrea Östlund and will feature film projections hightlighting the magnificient Nordic climate in the Great Hall of the Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra.
Outi Tarkiainen's Mosaics reflects and fantasises the musical world of her first opera, A Room of One’s Own, while Maja S. K. Ratkje's A whisper, or a prayer, or a song, takes it's title from writer Aasne Linnestå’s libretto for Ratkje's own work Revelations (This Early Song).
The wide open intervals emerge and spread throughout the orchestra, land like lengthy, contrived sentences eventually falling to the ground, but start anew, rising like a song, more songs, lacking voice, but still… There is yet hope, fragile, but moving.
– Maja S. K. Ratkje
In conjunction with the premieres, all commissioned music of "Nordic - A Fragile Hope" will be released by Nilento Records.
Performance details
Date: Wednesday and Thursday, February 21-22, 2024
Players: Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra
Conductor: Christian Karlsen
Listen to the album
