Nordic Affect And Mezzoforte Nominated For Music Prize
February 27, 2013 at 1:37pm
Chamber ensemble Nordic Affect and fusion band Mezzoforte have been nominated for the prestigious Nordic Council Music Prize. Last year's honour was awarded to the Icelandic composer Anna Thorvaldsdottir.
The Music Prize for creative and practical music was established in 1965 and was originally awarded every third year to a composer from one of the Nordic countries. Since 1990 the prize has been awarded every year alternately to a living composer and to individual artists or groups.
The prize, which is administered by the Nordic House on the Faroe Islands is worth DKK 350,000 (approx 47,000 Euro).
Nordic Affect was formed in 2005 to promote music from the 17th and 18th centuries as well as the performance of contemporary music. Its members represent the new generation of period instrumentalists who share the passion for viewing familiar musical forms from a different perspective as well as venturing into new terrain.
Their performances in and outside of Iceland have ranged from the dance music of the 17th century to the exciting electronic compositions of today and have been received with great critical acclaim. NoA has performed for The Icelandic Broadcasting Service and The European Broadcasting Service. Their CD recordings on the labels Bad Taste Records, MusMap and Brilliant Classics have received glowing reviews as well as recognition from the Iceland Music Awards and the Kraumur award. The artistic director of NoA is Halla Steinunn Stefánsdóttir.
Upcoming projects include the release of a new album with works specially written for NoA by Icelandic female composers, collaboration with Kippi Kaninus and Hugi Gudmundsson as well as the premiere of a new work by María Huld Markan Sigfúsdóttir (amiina) written to a silent movie.
Mezzoforte, meanwhile, is considered to be Europe’s most important jazz-funk fusion band. In 2012, the band celebrated its 35th anniversary. Their latest album 'ISLANDS' documents the band's process of maturing musically and adds another gem to its discography. In 1996, the three founding members Eythor Gunnarsson, Johann Asmundsson and Gulli Briem expanded the band with the saxophonist Oskar Gudjonsson, in 2006 with the guitarist Bruno Müller and trumpet player Sebastian Studnitzky, adding new colour.
Keep an eye on the Music Prize Facebook and the official Nordic Council Music Prize website.