Norwegians in North America

Norwegians in North America
Picture of Eivind Buene
© Lars Skaaning

This week is a busy week for Norwegian-based composers in North America. Eivind Buene premieres his third string quartet Chorales, and the American-Norwegian Tyler Futrell concert premieres his Stabat Mater.

 

World Premiere of Eivind Buene’s String Quartet no. 3 Chorales on the Other Minds Festival

This year’s Other Mind Festival in San Francisco takes place from November 15 to 18. Other Minds Festival is a festival for new contemporary music, and at this years festival Eivind Buene’s new string quartet Chorales has its world premiere. The string quartet is commisioned by the festival and consist of one movement. It shifts between ‘chorales’ and ‘interludes’ with different textures. As an interactive media, each player has a sound file on their mobile phones which will play at a given time under the performance. Buene’s second string quartet Grid will also be performed at the concert.

Performance details

Date: Saturday, November 18
Players: The Friction Quartet
Venue: Taube Atrium Theater, San Francisco

 

Listen to Grid

Tyler Futrell’s Stabat Mater in Seattle

Futrell’s Stabat Mater was originally commissioned by Oslo International Church Music Festival in 2022 where it recieved wide acclaim. By popular demand, several performances were added during the initial run at the festival and it has since been performed numberous times.

The piece is set to the classical Latin text of the same name from the Middle Ages, and is written for soprano, mezzosoprano, string orchestra, and harpsicord. Giovanni B. Pergolesi’s Stabat Mater will also be performed.

Quote from the first performance:

‘(…) I’ve attended my life biggest music experiences. First, I heard Scarlatti’s Stabat Mater, which was fine, but nothing compared to the musical and emotionally shock after the premiere performance of Tyler Futrell’s Stabat Mater. It was such a great and heart wrenching sorrow performed by a soprano and mezzosoprano, and I’ve never heard anything that have led such a great impact on me before.’

 

Performance details

Date: Friday, November 17
Players: Seattle Chamber Orchestra
Conducted by Lorenzo Marasso
Soprano: Natalie Ingrisano; Alto (mezzosoprano): Charlene Chi
Venue: Tagney Jones Hall, Seattle Opera

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