Upcoming Concerts
For reservations email event_reservation@amscan.org or call 212.847.9740
The Music of Schumann & Gade
Presented by Mannes College: The New School for Music
Thursday, March 25, 7 pm
FREE, no tickets or reservations required; seating is first-come first-served
This concert is a special presentation by the Mannes College Piano and Voice Departments, exploring the music of Robert Schumann and Niels Gade, featuring such pieces as Schumann’s Arabesque in C major for piano, op. 18 and Gade’s Violin Sonata. Since 1999, Mannes College of Music has presented a series of year-long music festivals, each with a different unifying theme featuring gifted young artists, distinguished faculty, and renowned guests.
Out of Scandinavia/Out of Context:
New Indie Rock from the Nordics
April 1, May 6, June 3, July 1 & August 5, all sets begin @ 7 pm
$10 ($8 ASF Members)
Scandinavian music is having a moment. Sigur Rós, Björk, Fever Ray, Lykke Li, Peter, Bjorn and John, The Raveonettes, Mew, Annie, Sondre Lerche. These are just a sampling of the current Nordic heavyweights on the indie charts, but the next wave of Nordic bands is upon us. Renowned in their homelands and on the cusp of breaking through in the U.S. these fervent musicians will undoubtedly join the chart-topping ranks of their established peers. They may have disparate styles, but what connects them is a love of sound, an artistry of live performance, and above all, a devotion to invading your listening space.
Out of Scandinavia/Out of Context is a uniquely selected series of musical performances the first Thursday of the month from April through August, headlining a myriad of fresh Nordic musicians that features one-off and premiere performances. Through subtle and deft curating of distinctly different styles of music, Out of Scandinavia/Out of Context will satiate your craving for innovative and compelling new indie rock from the Nordics.
Out of Scandinavia/Out of Context is made possible in part by the Consulate General of Denmark, New York; the Consulate General of Finland, New York; the Honorary Consulate General of Sweden, New York; and Iceland Naturally.
Jaerv & Thinguma*jigSaw
Tuesday, April 13, 7 pm
$15 ($10 ASF Members)
Jaerv on myspace
Thinguma*jigSaw on myspace
Scandinavian folk music today isn’t what it once was. With urbanization and modern innovations such as TV, radio, records, and CDs, traditional music faded in the 20th century. The folk music scene has reemerged and today is revitalized and diverse, splitting roughly into two areas: acoustic and electric, with experimentation of varying degrees happening at both ends of the spectrum. Occasionally avant-garde, but consistently accessible, one can still hear the traditional Nordic folk styles woven into the richly-textured musical tapestries of these innovative musicians.
Jaerv is a Swedish quintet, playing extroverted, vigorous, and heartfelt folk music with influences from both jazz and pop music. Together, the five members have created a homogeneous, vivid sound that has, over a short period of time, established the group on the folk music scene as well as in many other forums. Rooted in several different musical traditions, Jaerv offers a varied stage performance where vocal, five-voiced tunes blend in with energetic dances and free improvisations. Their concerts have been broadcast, both on Swedish national radio and abroad and the band has toured extensively over the last three years.
Thinguma*jigSaw is a Norwegian duo playing what they call “splatter-folk” on banjo, musical saw, flute, melodica, and vocals. Their music is influenced by British folk, Appalachian ballads, art/cult/horror-films, and the literary musings of Samuel Beckett, Edgar Allan Poe and James Joyce. Thinguma*jigSaw has existed for two years, released their album (awakeinwhitechapel) on the Irish cred-label Deserted Village, and has toured extensively in Europe and the U.S., doing gigs together with the Tiger Lillies, Meg Baird, Samara Lubelski and Castanets, among others. Thinguma*jigSaw has rapidly become a highly beloved live-phenomenon, stunning audiences wherever they play: Time Out London ranked them as one of 2008’s live highlights, next to Bon Iver, and New York Post described their live-performance as “deeply unsettling, yet strangely comforting.”
Keyboard Conversations® with Pianist Jeffrey Siegel:
Concerts with Commentary
Internationally-acclaimed pianist Jeffrey Siegel returns to Scandinavia House for his third season at Victor Borge Hall. Beginning the evening with commentary on the music and its composers, Keyboard Conversations offers a full performance of each of the works, and ends with a short and lively question and answer session. The accessible and inviting performance format enriches audience understanding of classical music, for both the newcomer and seasoned listener alike. The concert is followed by a reception.
Musical Pictures
Thursday, April 15, 2010, 7:30 pm
$15 ($10 ASF members)
This concert features picturesque music inspired by visual stimuli: Rachmaninoff's festive Etude Tableaux in E Flat, Opus 33, Debussy's colorful Fireworks, the beloved Rustles of Spring by the Norwegian composer Christian Sinding, the evocative May Night by Finland's Selim Palmgren, and the famous and fascinating Pictures at an Exhibition by the Russian master Modeste Mussorgsky. A “Getting Behind the Pictures” discussion will make listening to this popular work even more rewarding.
Nordic Sounds, Latin Flavor
Friday, April 23, 7:00 pm
$15 ($10 ASF Members; FREE to students with a valid ID)
Swedish guitarist Celia Linde is acclaimed for her personal style, her captivating temperament and for her wide range of musical interpretations. Linde will perform her unique variations of music from Swedish folk tunes, contemporary Latin American and Spanish music, to her own classical compositions. Touring frequently throughout Europe, the U.S., Canada, Finland, Scandinavia, Russia, and Turkey, she is often the featured artist on National Swedish Radio-Television and has also been profiled on the BBC, Denmark’s Radio, Turkish Radio-Television (TRT) and New York’s WNYC and other international radio stations.
The Scandia String Quartet
Thursday, May 13, 8 pm
$15 ($10 ASF Members; FREE to students with a valid ID)
Founded in 2005 and the initiative of the four principal string players of the New York Scandia Symphony, the Scandia String Quartet will perform a vibrant selection of quartets by Grieg, Sibelius, Weyse, Nielsen, and Langgaard. Since its inception, the quartet has been the solid foundation of the Scandinavian Music Festival held in Fort Tryon Park in northern Manhattan in June. Like the Scandia Symphony, the Scandia String Quartet is dedicated to performing and recording music of the Scandinavian countries and composers, introducing previously unknown and seldom performed compositions to American audiences.
The quartet has undertaken several premieres of works by living composers from Scandinavia and of music relating to Scandinavia. The Scandia String Quartet has appeared at a number of concerts and events and has collaborated with soloists and composers of Scandinavian descent, as well as with other members of the New York Scandia Symphony.
Smörgås Chef’s Dinner & a Concert
Ongoing, 5 – 10 pm
$34 per person ($29 ASF Members)
Pairing top-notch Scandinavian music with fine Nordic cuisine, Smörgås Chef Restaurant @ Scandinavia House continues its popular Dinner & a Concert three-course prix fixe dinner menus. Available from 5 to10 pm, these ongoing offers feature a selection of favorite dishes including herb-roasted chicken, cured gravlaks and Swedish meatballs, and include one admission to that evening’s concert.
For more information, please call Smörgås Chef Restaurant @ Scandinavia House at 212.847.9745.
Victor Borge Hall is named in honor of the legendary Danish entertainer and in recognition of his generosity to Scandinavia House.
Steinway is the official piano of Scandinavia House.