This autumn has been in the sign of the Cimbalom. First playing with John Adams and the Oslo Philharmonic Orchestra the extraordinaire Scheherazade 2.0, the 50 minutes violin concerto with the huge cimbalom obligato included. And then, before the concert, Mr.Adams approached me and asking me to join him in Rome, Italy, the week after to perform his oratorio “The Gospel according to the other Mary”, with solo cimbalom included. So I had to learn it and play three concerts within a week with the splendid Orchestra and choir Academia Santa Cecilia in Rome.
This week I am new-premiering Øyvind Mæland´s “Songs in between Barren Landscapes” at Ny Musikk, Oslo. This music gives me a unique opportunity to explore my cimbalom even further, using odd pizzicato flageolets and harmonics to create a sound landscape unheard to me. I feel lucky!