Because I have been keeping my eye out for a festival to do this summer as a violinist, one particular article about the Risor Chamber Music Festival caught my attention. It is a weeklong, intensive program where the most talented musicians from around the world are chosen to collaborate, forming chamber music groups in a small town in Norway. (Chamber music is classical music written for a small group of people.) What’s particularly exciting about this festival it has been brought to New York, where they will be giving four concerts at Carnegie Hall in December.
The other thing that really struck me about this Risor Festival is the amount of performances they manage annually to do within such a short period of time: 20 in just 6 days! This is possible in part by the fact that in Norway, there are 20 hours of sunlight in the day during June. This astronomical number, being at the caliber of music making that it is, has frankly left me in awe. The fastest performance I have ever put on was at Summit Music Festival and was after five days of intense orchestra rehearsals. Imagine 19 more of these!
On Wednesday, the program put on by Risor at Zenkel Hall will feature the two co-directors–pianist Leif Ove Andsnes and violist Lars Anders Tomter with a variety of music by Bartok, Honegger, and Stravinsky. I think it is beneficial for festivals like these to come to New York City, which is the center of so many musical events take place. I will continue to hunt for international festivals like these that I could possibly be apart of!
I could only find a small clip but beginning at 2:45, listen to something that Risor Chamber Music Festival has accomplished. View the article in the NY Times here.
Sounds like a good reason to go to Norway, or to Carnegie Hall!
Here is another song:
and here is the text, with a translation: