Elusive in meaning, Vilhelm Hammershøi’s paintings evoke a certain kind of Nordic melancholy. His quiet interiors – secret rooms and intimate spaces glimpsed through open doorways and light-infused corridors – conjure a particular feeling of loneliness and abandonment. In this concert inspired by six of the artworks on view in the Gallery, Danish composers Ejnar Kanding and MBD73 (aka Carsten Bo Eriksen) and the American Contemporary Music Ensemble (ACME) invite listeners on a unique auditory journey into Hammershøi’s enigmatic world.
The performance will be accompanied by live video.
The compositions and concert are supported by the Danish Arts Foundation and organized in collaboration with AFSMK – American Friends of Statens Museum for Kunst.
About The American Contemporary Music Ensemble
The American Contemporary Music Ensemble (ACME), celebrating its tenth anniversary in 2014-2015, is dedicated to the outstanding performance of masterworks from the 20th and 21st centuries, primarily the work of American composers. Founded by cellist Clarice Jensen, conductor Donato Cabrera, and publicist Christina Jensen, the ensemble presents fresh work by living composers alongside contemporary classics
ACME’s dedication to new music extends across genres and has earned the ensemble a reputation among both classical and rock crowds. National Public Radio (NPR) calls them “contemporary music dynamos,” and The New York Times describes ACME’s performances as “vital,” “brilliant,” and “electrifying.” Time Out New York reports, “[Artistic Director Clarice] Jensen has earned a sterling reputation for her fresh, inclusive mix of minimalists, maximalists, eclectics, and newcomers.”
About Carsten Bo Eriksen/MBD73
Carsten Bo Eriksen (also known as MBD73, which is short for “My Beautiful Decay 1973”) is a prize-winning Danish composer. Eriksen’s music incorporates elements and inspiration from post-rock, American minimalism, ambient electro-acoustic music, and field recordings.
He was educated at the Royal Academy of Music as a composer (1997-2003) and a pupil of Ib Nørholm and Hans Abrahamsen. Eriksen has also studied at the Berklee College of Music in Massachusetts and with the musician Pak Tama in Ubud, Bali, Indonesia.
In 2001, he was nominated for the Danish Music Award for Best Chamber Music Release alongside his ensemble Nordlys (DaCapo Records) and was the winner of the Danish Art Foundation’s Best Electronica competition. In 2009 Eriksen won first prize for Best Media Production on the Internet with the Face the Climate team.
Eriksen is committed to working with a broad range of collaborators and has worked with The Copenhagen Philharmonic, Athelas Sinfonietta, Ars Nova Ensemble (Sweden), Ensemble Adapter (Germany), JACK Quartet (U.S.), and Messer Quartet (Denmark). His work has been exhibited and performed at some of Denmark’s most prestigious institutions, including the Louisiana Museum of Modern Art, The National Gallery of Denmark, The Black Diamond’s Queen’s Hall at The Royal Library, The Tivoli Concert Hall, and VEGA. In addition to his music, Eriksen is also a self-taught painter and video artist.
About Ejnar Kanding
1445097600
1445108400
—MBD73 aka Carsten Bo Eriksen— Image Courtesy of Carsten Bo Eriksen.
SAT – 10-17-2015 – 4:00 PM
free
RSVP strongly encouraged
#HammershøiNYC