UGA Presents welcomes the Camerata Nordica Octet to Hodgson Concert Hall on Wednesday, October 15 at 7:30 p.m. The concert, part of the “Nordic Dream: Voices from Denmark, Finland, Norway, and Sweden” series, will feature the world premiere tour of Hanna Helgegren’s The Nordic Seasons, a piece with film inspired by Scandinavian folk music.
Founded in 1974, Camerata Nordica has grown into Sweden’s leading chamber orchestra. Comprised of musicians from across Europe, the ensemble has earned critical acclaim during tours in South America, the United States, Canada, and its debut at the BBC Proms in 2013. The octet’s first North American tour showcases its adventurous programming, pairing folk-inspired arrangements and contemporary voices with a landmark work for strings.
The Athens concert opens with traditional Swedish melodies reimagined by Camerata Nordica, followed by The Nordic Seasons. This newly commissioned work draws on Nordic folk traditions, the natural landscape, and the cycles of the year, performed alongside a specially created film by British director Jack Walton.
The program continues with Dmitri Shostakovich’s Two Pieces for String Octet, written when the composer was 19 years old. It concludes with one of chamber music’s most beloved masterworks: Felix Mendelssohn’s vigorous Octet in E-flat Major, Op. 20, composed when he was just 16, which celebrates its bicentennial this year.
COMPOSER HANNA HELGEGREN
Hanna Helgegren began playing the violin at age 4, and decided early on that she wanted to become a professional violinist. At 17, she began her studies at the Gothenburg School of Music in Sweden, and graduated from the University of the Arts in Berlin in 2004. Her music is inspired by the wide array of music she has performed throughout her career, from classical and jazz to folk music and pop.
“In The Nordic Seasons,” she writes, I sought to capture the essence of Nordic melancholy, where thoughts can darken as deeply as winter itself. Yet, after a long winter, light inevitably returns, bringing with it hope, playfulness, and joy … The movements mirror nature’s cycles throughout the year, as well as how we, as humans, are shaped by these shifts in mood and emotion. The piece is performed alongside a film which depicts the seasons through landscape imagery.
“The Nordic Seasons is a tribute to life in all its forms, an ode to the mystery that surrounds the very essence of our existence. It is also a reminder of how nature invites us to recharge, as well as reconnect with our origins — after all, we are an inseparable part of the natural world.”
PERFORMANCE TALK
Join us for a free pre-performance talk by Theresa Chafin in Ramsey Concert Hall from 6:45-7:15 pm.
SUPPORTED BY
Marty Farnsworth
Fred and Amy Young
BUYING TICKETS IS EASY
Securing tickets for UGA Presents performances couldn’t be easier. There are three ways to choose from:
- Purchase tickets online 24/7 here.
- Call the Performing Arts Center Box Office at (706) 542-4400, Mon.-Fri., 10:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m.
- Visit the UGA Performing Arts Center Box Office, Mon.-Fri., 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. (5 minute parking is available in the drop off circle at the Performing Arts Center for purchasing or picking up tickets.)
You may also create your own series of three or more performances (10% off). UGA Presents single tickets start at just $30 with promo code PAC30 and UGA student tickets are $15. Information about accessibility and venue amenities is available on the PAC website. Parking is free.
Photo: Lisa Madestam
