Kristian Blak

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Kristian Blak

Kristian Blak (born 1947) is a Danish composer, musician, and record executive based in the Faroe Islands.

Contents

Early life

Kristian Blak was born in Jutland, Denmark, in 1947. [1]

He moved to the Faroe Islands in 1974, where he has written most of his musical works. [1]

Career

Blak is the founder of the Nordic musical ensemble Yggdrasil (named after the world tree known as Yggdrasil). He has worked with sounds from Faroese nature in several compositions. These include concerts in caves and other natural "concert halls" in the Faroe Islands. [2] He has composed solo instrumental works, chamber music, choral works and symphonic music, [3] for example the ballad Harra Pætur og Elinborg. [4]

In 2010 Queen Margrethe of Denmark visited the Faroe Islands, and one of the events she visited was a grotto concert in Klæmintsgjógv (Gorge of Klæmint) by Blak and other musicians. The cave is 50 m (160 ft) high, and the sea in the cave is around 400 m (1,300 ft) deep. There are some places inside the cave where the musicians can stand with their instruments and give a concert to the audience in boats. [5]

Blak is the chief executive officer of Tutl, which is the leading record label in the Faroe Islands. [6]

Recognition and awards

Musical works

Albums

Solo albums

Yggdrasil

Spælimenninir

Spælimenninir í Hoydølum

Spælimenninir í Hoydølum is the name of a former musical ensemble, they took name after a place name in Tórshavn called Hoydalar, the High School is located there.

Music for children

See also

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References

  1. 1 2 "About". Kristian Blak. Retrieved 2 July 2023.
  2. Visitfaroeislands.com The Faroese Tourist Board
  3. Composers.fo Archived 11 June 2015 at the Wayback Machine A Faroese website with information about Faroese composers
  4. Harra Pætur og Elinborg on iTunes
  5. Captain.nordlysid.com Archived 23 December 2013 at the Wayback Machine About the grotto concerts (in English)
  6. Tutl.com
  7. BBS.fo [ permanent dead link ] Virðisløn M.A. Jacobsens fyri mentanaravrik 2002 (in Faroese)
  8. Kringvarp.fo The National Faroese Radio and Television (in Faroese)
  9. AllMusic Harra Pætur og Elinborg
  10. AllMusic
  11. AllMusic Concerto Grotto og Drangar

Further reading