Simon Steen-Andersen receives the Nordic Council Music Prize 2014

Anette Pauline Forsbakk 2014

 

 

We are very proud to announce that Simon Steen-Andersen receives the Nordic Council Music Prize for his work “Black Box Music”. The work will be released on DVD November 3rd, with Håkon Stene and Oslo Sinfonietta

 

“Black Box Music, by the innovative composer Simon Steen-Andersen (born 1976), is a unique and radically different work. Andersen plays, with great virtuosity, in the intersection between composition, installation art, electronica and performance. Black Box Music is a challenging piece of avant-garde music, quite unlike anything else, and yet embracing it requires no prior musical knowledge. It is unusual for a form of expression as personal as this to reach so many people. Andersen’s works are played by musicians and at festivals all over the world, from Shanghai to South America and Europe. Black Box Music is captivating – an uncontrollable blend of craziness, humour, charm and exuberant inventiveness. The piece also meets this year’s criteria for the Nordic Council Music Prize: it is a work of high artistic quality and original in its genre. It has a clear structure and form, and its third movement contains elements that emerge spontaneously in the performance moment.”

“Black Box Music” by the award-winning and highly innovate composer, Simon Steen-Andersen (born 1976), is a unique and radically different work. BBM was composed for solo percussion, an ‘amplified’ box, 15 instruments and video. On stage, the soloist has his hands buried in a black box with a built-in camera and various sound sources. From the box, he plays on everything from tuning forks to elastic bands and ventilators, while directing the 15 musicians with gigantic hands projected onto a screen behind him. BBM has a razor-sharp score, which combines – at one and the same time – unruly craziness; humour, playfulness and hardcore instrument noise. Simon Steen-Andersen has been awarded countless national and international prizes, most recently one of Denmark’s major honorary awards, the Carl Nielsen Prize, in 2013. His works, especially “Black Box Music”, are performed all over the world.

 

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The Black Box

Anette Pauline Forsbakk 2014

 

 

 

It all started in the summer of 2012. Black Box Music by Simon Steen-Andersen has since gotten it’s own life, and has become one of the works we have played the most and love the most. And our audiences has loved it as well! The CD recording is in progress, and while we look forward to the release we’re super happy to have the chance to show the Amsterdammers this amazing performance.

 

We are proud to have with us the man with the hands in the box, our very own Håkon Stene and look forward to giving the audience a spectacular experience.

 

Come join us at Muziekgebouw aan´t IJ, in Amsterdam, Friday 28th of March at 20:30.

 

On the program:
Louis Andriessen Workers Union
Simon Steen-Andersen Black Box Music (Dutch premiere)

Call for Scores: Young Nordic Composers

Anette Pauline Forsbakk 2014

 

 

Oslo Sinfonietta and Oslo International Chamber Music Festival cooperates in presenting music by young Nordisc composers, in a concert that also includes a work of historic significance from the 20th century. Oslo Sinfonietta would like to invite composers studying or residing in one of the Nordic countries to send us scores. These will be judged by the artistic board of the Oslo Sinfonietta. Scores and other material must be at our office before the 25th of May 2014. We will choose 2 of the pieces received to be performed at a concert in Oslo on the 18th of August, 2014.

 

Rules:

- Scores and other material must be in our office by the 25th of May.
- The composer should be under the age of 35, and either study or reside in one of the Nordic countries (Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Finland or Iceland)

 

This year we’re in search of the following:
Chamber music, for 1-9 instruments. All combinations of instruments are accepted.

Parts for the pieces chosen for the concert shall be delivered by the 15th of June 2014.

 

The composers of the chosen pieces will be offered a read-through of the piece with mr. Christian Eggen before printing the parts.
 

Each composer may send up to 2 scores. You should enclose

- any existing recordings
- a list of former public performances (date, place, performers)
- name of the composer, age, email address, postal address and education

 

The material should be sent to:

Oslo Sinfonietta, c/o Sentralen, Pb 183 Sentrum, N-0102 OSLO, NORGE

The artistic board of the Oslo Sinfonietta has the right not to choose any of the pieces.
 

The artistic board of the Oslo Sinfonietta consists of artistic director Christian Eggen, Håkon Stene and Rolf Erik Nystrøm.

 

All questions should be directed to Oslo Sinfoniettas general manager Ludvig Claeson
Phone:+4790073029                                                          mail: ludvig@cikos.no