Creating new sounds
“The Russian audience is quite conservative”, says Vladimir Onufriev in Arkhangelsk Chamber Orchestra. In the BarentsKult project “Sound without borders”, the Russian audience is challenged as his orchestra together with Arktisk Sinfonietta from Tromsø is joining forces to develop new trends and new sounds in Russian and Norwegian contemporary music.
The Barents project “Sound without borders” brought together Norwegian brass and Russian string musicians from Tromsø and Arkhangelsk this october, in order to make new harmonic sounds.
Last week the ensemble presented the result in Severodvinsk and in Arkhangelsk, and the result was highly appreciated by the local audience. It seems like the Russian audience wasn’t that conservative after all.
- This is an orchestra for the future and we would like to establish a long term cooperation which can last for years ahead, says Sten-Ivar Frydenlund who is leader of Arktisk Sinfonietta from Tromsø and initiator of the project.
Vladimir Onufriev, the artistic leader of Arkhangelsk Chamber Orchestra says that he likes the Norwegian approach, where the contemporary music is very much promoted and supported by the authorities.
- If the idea of long-term cooperation would come true the musicians want to specialize at new artistic trends in the classical music, says Onufriev
In November the “Arctic Symfoniette” will have concerts in Murmansk, Vadso and Kirkenes. A big part of their repertoire is made of the contemporary Norwegian and Russian classical music.
In Arkhangelsk they played the piece “Katoptromanti” by the Norwegian composer and drummer Erik Stefjell who was also a participant of the concert. Another piece performed on the concert was called “Saga of the lead and frozen light” composed by Maja Rathe and devoted to the tragic events of July 2011 in Oslo and Utoya island. The Russian part of the performance was presented by Alexander Mosolov.
The BarentsKult program supported the project with 400 000 NOK.