Celebrated Ekestad Music Festival

Celebrated Ekestad Musik Festival

if you are in for a musical treat

Ekestad - is a small Scanian countryside village

with approximately 60 inhabitants.

Their annual music festival is limited in format 

but has high artistic ambitions

and offer surprise elements above the expected.

Celebrated stars joyfully perform

for an enthusiastic audience.

The Copenhagen Classic String Ensemble and soprano Isa Katharina Gericke.

This annual music festival in Ekestad Public Park (Folkets Hus) is organized by the local homestead association chaired by Mr.Thomas Bark. In collaboration with cellist Ingemar Brantelid who is an awarded solo player at Royal Danish Orchestra in Copenhagen, they have initiated this intimate event where performers and the audience are allowed to mingle.

The setting is simple, nostalgic and close to the nature which provide for a lyrical and poetic atmosphere that open up the senses in an exciting way. Such a feeling is unique to Ekestad. When you include elements of surprise in the repertoire, improvisations and extra performances the day is set for a remarkable experience.

The audience book for their light meal before Thomas Bark wishes everyone welcome.

The festival is starred with Denmarks only professional string sextett, Copenhagen Classic, the highly respected pianist Bengt Forsberg, the talented award winning young cellist Andreas Brantelid, the solo hornist Lasse Mauritzen and the fabulous Norwegian soprano Isa Katharina Gericke.

Copenhagen Classic was established in 1997 and has rapidly gained the positions as one of the leading chamber music ensembles in Denmark. Each member of the sextett has distinguished themselves as string musicians and hold top positions in their own distinctive orchestras and/or as soloists. The pianist Bengt Forsberg is strongly engaged in chamber music and specializes in less known composers and this was also apparent in the program this afternoon. The young cellist Andreas Brantelid started practicing the cello at the age of three with his father and later also with other instructors including Mats Rondin, Torleif Thedeen and others. He has won a number of prices and presently perform with the Lincoln Centre Chamber Music orchestra in New York but also but has also made his debut with several symphony orchestras. 

Andreas Brantelid posing during the break and Bengt Forsberg organizing his music by the piano.

The program this afternoon contained movements from Bach's cello solo suit nr. 5, lyric work by Alexander Glazunov, horntrio by Brahms and works of Franz Schubert, Leonard Bernstein as well as Erich Wolfgang Korngold. Andreas Brantelid and Bengt Forsberg both took a role as moderators explaining the history behind the music that was unfamiliar to many in the audience. Especially the lyrical tones of Glazunov seemed to raise an interest among the audience.

Members of the Copenhagen Classic,  Lasse Mauritzen (on the horn) and Isa Gericke performing.

Lasse Mauritzen has played the horne since the age of eight and is presently first solo hornist at the sympony orchestra of the Danish Radio and an honored guest among the best orchestras in London. Isa Gericke took her audience in a fabulous way. She has had several roles in operas including Mozart's "Le nozze di Figaro", Humberdinck's "Hänsel und Gretel" and "Monteverdis Orfeus". 

The concert this afternoon lasted for 3,5 hours including two breaks allowing for some snacks and mingling in the gardens. The festival is made possible due to numerous volunteer's making an effort. Only transfer of the piano to the premises is expensive says Daniel Soutine (upper picture in the middle) who also sells the tickets as a favor to the organizers. Helping out is a strong tradition in the neighborhood and close to 50 organisations have contributed in some way.

Some discussion over more seldom herd horn music as well as Glazunovs and Korngold's works.

Celebrated stars at the end of today's program.

Time to say good-by to Ekestad for this year.

There is something very special to concerts like the one experienced today. They are held outdoors or amongst the green lush nature that seem to inspire both performers and the audience. Applauses are generous from the start until the end requesting for extra numbers and allowing for the performers to improvise making the audience even more excited. We have been set up for a special treat today with a promise top be back next year. If any reader is interested to join up tickets are released for sale early May for a performance early August. Check with info@kristianstadbokhandel.se 

Have a good working week everyone!

:-)