The Age of Wire and String

Petter Sundkvist, 29th April, 2009

This week we have been rehearsing 11 new pieces by young composers in Gotland Tonsättarskola. We are preparing the works for concerts in the Festival Ljudvågor later in may. Today, Wednesday we are preparing a concert program that will be performed next week in Piteå, Luleå and ending up in the great concert hall of Norrlandsoperan next Friday in their very ambitious MADE festival. The program is given the title the Age of Wire and String after Rolf Wallins new piece – after Ben Marcus strange but inspiring novel from 1998. A funny coincidence is that our main piece in the program – Steve Reich Double Sextett – was just awarded the Pulitzer prize. Hopefully it will bring some attention to our program. By the way, we had planned to perform Tristan Murail’s Winter Fragments but the music ordered a long time ago didn’t show up in time to get a proper preparation from the musicians. Sad, but we will surely program the piece in the future. On a personal level it’s a mixed feeling with the speedy entrance of spring here in the north. Snow mould and pollen is a rough thing to handle. We are also proud and happy to welcome our new member, cellist David Gammelgård into the ensemble.

Petter