In the next couple of weeks German-Icelandic composer Steingrimur Rohloff tours most of Europe with concerts and first performances.
First up is Beethovenfest in Bonn where Rohloff’s new piano cycle, which is composed for the German pianist Susanne Kessel’s piano class, is premiered. The works are performed by the students themselves and rehearsed under the composer’s “supervision”. The piano album is called “Lichtspiele – Schattenspiele” and consists of 5 works so far, which are premiered at the Beethovenfest on September 18, 2013 in Bonn’s “Tower”.
Also in September, Esbjerg Ensemble continues the already existing collaboration with the composer and performs the work Schtagededong, which they already performed in the spring in both Copenhagen and Berlin. Now the entire Jutland is going to be taken over by Rohloff’s work, which is performed in the company of Mozart’s Divertimento Es-dur kv 563 and an arrangement of Stravinsky’s Sacre du Printemps. The concerts take place at the “Heart” in Herning, in Esbjerg and in Varde in Denmark and are staged by the director Bent Nørgård. Esbjerg Ensemble also performs the work in Flensborg, Germany on October 30 and at a MGK Masterclass in Kolding, Denmark on November 1, 2013.
Last, but not least Rohloff travels to Helsinki for the festival Nordic Music Days when Tapiola Sinfonetta performs his work Der Erste Mensch in the newly constructed Music House in Helsinki. The concert is on October 15 and marks the second time that this prestigious ensemble performs a work by Rohloff. The work Der Erste Mensch was originally composed for the German Ensemble Modern in 2011 and now has its Scandinavian premiere.