In the run-up to the festival, we publish in-depth interviews with all the participants in this year’s Borealis Ung Komponist. Now we have spoken to Susanne Xin, who is a performing artist, pianist, music teacher, and more!
Susanne started the story with her work by telling about when her dad fled the war in Vietnam, out to sea, and ends up in Norway.
Photo: Thor Brødreskift/Borealis
We are proud to have achieved Balansmerket, in good company with 36 other organizations that are also actively working towards greater safety and inclusion in the cultural industry.
Balansemerket is an initiative to prevent discrimination and sexual harassment among people working in the arts and culture. They offer workshops, resources, guidelines and suggested actions.
They have interviewed our Managing Director Rachel Louis about some of the actions we are taking to create events that are accessible and interesting to more people, including in Relaxed Performances.
With a Borealis Click Card you can purchase 3 events at a discounted price.
The click card is not personal and you can use several clips at the same event, so these are ideal if you want to invite friends!
Looking for volunteers to be part of a speech choir for Alwynne Pritchard’s new piece Counting Backwards with BIT20 Ensemble! This new and exciting piece will premiere on 19 March as part of Borealis – a festival for experimental music.
You don’t need to be a musician or sing in a choir and you’ll be speaking as a group (no solos!).
Want to take part or like to know more?
Contact: alwynne.pritchard@gmail.com
Listen to GÅOLOGI – a piece about walking in Bergen by Alwynne Pritchard and Eva Pfitzenmaier, on BBC Radio 3 until 6 March!
Alwynne Pritchard is a Borealis 2023 artist, performing wit BIT20 Ensemble at Cornerteateret on Sunday 19.03. Eva Pfitzenmaier is a former Borealis artist, as well as a former Borealis Ung Komponist participant! The New Music Show on BBC Radio 3 also presented Rolf Gupta ‘s In Memoriam from last year’s Borealis, performed by Sjøforsvarets musikkorps (SFMK)! So don’t miss out!
Borealis is thrilled to be part of the new project of Re-Imagine Europe, a collaboration of fourteen interdisciplinary arts organisations across Europe. The network has received support from the Creative Europe programme for the project New Perspectives for Action, starting in February 2023.
New Perspectives for Action is a four-year transnational co-creation and circulation project by Re-Imagine Europe,and builds on the results of the previous Re-Imagine Europe project (2017–2021). New Perspectives for Action aims to equip and empower young Europeans through artistic practices to better withstand societal challenges triggered by rapid climate change. To achieve this aim, the project responds to the needs of artists, organisations and audiences.
Re-Imagine Europe is a collaboration of Paradiso and Sonic Acts (The Netherlands, Elevate Festival (Austria), INA GRM (France), A4 (Slovakia), Borealis (Norway), KONTEJNER (Croatia), BEK (Norway), RUPERT (Lithuania), Disruption Network Lab (Germany), Semibreve (Portugal), Parco d’Arte Vivente (Italy), Kontrapunkt (North Macedonia) og Radio Web MACBA (Spain). New Perspectives for Action is co-funded by the European Union.
Photo: Radiant Live by HC Gilje, Paradiso Amsterdam. Commissioned by Sonic Acts as part of Re-Imagine Europe. Photo by George Knegtel.
Only one month before Borealis opens its 20th Anniversary Festival, you can join us in celebration of and insight into what’s to come, on 15.02 from 20.00–21.00 at Bergen Kunsthall, Landmark!
o get us in the mood, Artistic Director Peter Meanwell will be giving us a tour through all the nooks and crannies of the programme. We’ll hear live music from Borealis artist Sigbjørn Apeland on harmonium, and a special first ever duo of Luke Drozd & Eline Rafteseth – both participants of this year’s Borealis Ung Komponist.
There will be snacks and drinks at the bar, and you can even win merch and even tickets, as we roll the balls of fate in our tombola!
Lihkku beivviin!
Our Artist in Residence Elina Waage Mikalsen is presenting an hour of experimental Sámi music for NTS Radio on the Sámi national day, exploring Sámi artists, composers and joikers who squeeze through the genre gaps and make new sound explorations with indigenous roots.
Tune in to NTS Radio Channel 2 on Monday 6 February 15.00–16.00 UK time (16.00–17.00 Norwegian time)!
The full programme is out! It’s been 20 festivals since Borealis was born, which means 20 years of amazing experimental music in Bergen. Together we will celebrate everything music and listening is and can be!
Big congratulations to our Borealis 2023 artist Mira Thiruchelvam who together with Gutu Abera won the Best African Jazz of the Year award with their song ‘Deemi’!
In collaboration with Gutu, Mira is behind the composition, melody and production, and also plays the bamboo flute, cajon drum and congas. For Borealis 2023, she will perform a new commissioned work for Musikk for sjøbading at the heated outdoor pool Nordnes Sjøbad. The piece explores a more elongated format, drawing on the complex rhythms and harmonic structures of Tamil musical tradition.
