Vortex Room will be visiting the Dutch Harp Festival in Utrecht May 15-16 2021! Experience the full installation of the polyphonic electric harp (developed by Sunniva Rødland and Notam) in the beautiful piece by Erik Dæhlin. 36 speaker elements, one for each string on the harp hangs from the ceiling, surrounding the audience. Multiple performances.
On the CD “Postures”, harpist Sunniva Rødland takes us into a tonal landscape that ranges from the meditative to the explosive. Five different works of five Norwegian composers, each piece with its own approach to form, style and instrument. The sound of the harp is used in different ways to construct the universe of these pieces. Together they make up a variation of postures. Different angles of vision on concepts of time, (life) energy, development, standstill, longing, departure. We are in the harpist’s world, playing with precisely choreographed movements — two hands, two feet, 47 strings, seven pedals, and timbre determined by the way the hands are closed.
Rødland is filled with curiosity and always in search of new experiences — both in music itself and on her own instrument. On this, her first release on the LAWO Classics label, she presents five works that have been with her for many years.
David Bratlie’s “Credo Reloading” was commissioned by Rødland, and she premiered the work in 2007 at the Ultima Oslo Contemporary Music Festival. At this festival she also premiered Mark Adderley’s “Postures” (2000). In addition, we get to hear Wolfgang Plagge’s “Nocturne Sonata” op. 79 (1994/95), Yngve Slettholm’s “Ten Miniatures For Harp” (2000), and Bjørn Fongaard’s “Concerto for Harp and Tape” op. 131 (1976). The last-named work is of immediate interest, as this year is the 100thanniversary of Fongaard’s birth. The piece was premiered by Rødland in 2009.
Sunniva Rødland (born 1977) is a classically trained Norwegian harpist. She is creative and innovative, with a broad repertoire. Rødland has to date premiered sixteen solo works, and she has had long-term collaborations with a number of composers, often as co-creator in the composition process. She has appeared as soloist at numerous festivals, including The World Harp Congress (Vancouver), AngelicA Festival (Bologna), Ultima Contemporary Music Festival (Oslo), and Ilios (Harstad), and she has performed solo concerts with, among others, the Norwegian Wind Ensemble, the Norwegian Radio Orchestra, and Trondheim Symphony Orchestra.
En liten time, omsluttet av klangen fra mange harper, dype og lyse vibrasjoner, stillstand.
9.mai Nesodden kirke
26.mai Domkirkeodden, Hamar
11.juni Ishavskatedralen, Tromsø
13.juni Nordlyskatedralen, Alta
12.november Vår Frue kirke, Trondheim
19.november Gamle Aker kirke, Oslo
Postcards from Heaven – et verk av John Cage for harpe og kirkerom Sunniva Rødland, harpe Cato Langnes, lyddesign
Postcards from Heaven er et verk som den amerikanske komponisten John Cage skrev i 1982 for 1-20 harper. Sunniva Rødland har utviklet et unikt program der hun spiller alle harpestemmene selv, både live, i studioopptak og i feltopptak. Prosjektet er utviklet spesielt for steinkirker og lar publikum bli omsluttet av klangen fra mange harper, dype og lyse vibrasjoner og stillstand. Sammen med lyddesigner Cato Langnes (Notam) avspiller Sunniva stemmene i rommet der de er, via 10 høyttalere som plasseres rundt publikum, samtidig som Sunniva spiller én av stemmene live. Harpeklangen, som er umåtelig rik på overtoner, er en klang som er naturlig for øret. Klangen fremheves gjennom kirkerommets akustikk og en nøye uttenkt lyddistribusjon. De første kirkene som besøkes i prosjektet blir en del av verket. Hvert konsertopptak legges til fremtidige fremføringer. Slik vil verket utvikle seg og bli til «postkort» fra landets kirker, med kirkenes særegne klangrom, hørt i samspill med hverandre.
19.MAI spiller jeg konsert i Paris med disse to fantastiske musikerne. Gleder meg! På programmet står Simon Steen-Andersens History of My Instrument og Erik Dæhlins Vortex Room.
Mark Adderley’s wonderful and energetic harp concerto was released in June 2016 by LabLabel. With Sunniva Rødland and Ensemble Ernst, conducted by Thomas Rimul.
You are welcome to order by e-mail: sunnivaharpist at gmail.com