ISCM World New Music Days: Hans Hellsten (SE)
The Association of Faroese Composers / Felagið Føroysk Tónaskøld will proudly host the ISCM World New Music Days in the Faroe Islands 22nd to 30th of June 2024.
The festival will include concerts by Faroese and Nordic ensembles, informal ensembles and collaborations and soloists.
The music featured throughout this festival will include new and innovative works from across the international membership of the ISCM.
Musician:
Hans Hellsten was born in 1958 in Helsingborg, Sweden. In 1992 he was appointed first holder of the newly founded chair of organ at the College of Music in Malmö (Lund University). Although his recitals have taken him to most countries in Europe as well as Canada Hans Hellsten claims” there is nothing like playing a good hymn together with an enthusiastic congregation”. He did that for four years in the parish of Burlöv after finishing his studies in Denmark, France and Sweden.
He is a specialist in the field of contemporary organ music, particularly the works of Bengt Hambræus – his CD-recordings with Hambræus music have won much acclaim -, but also takes a great interest in the earlier repertoires. Hans Hellsten has also devoted himself to concert and festival production, for example as an artistic leader of the Swedish version of ConnectingArts, a co-European organ festival in 2012 and 2013.
Hans Hellsten likes writing on music. The richly illustrated book Instrumentens drottning – orgelns historia och teknik (The Queen of instruments – history and technology of the organ) was published in 2002, and in 2011, he collaborated with Hans Fagius on a thorough reworking of Lars Angerdal’s book from 1981, Organistpraxis (The performance practice of the organist).
During the last ten years Hans has worked extensively with issues of quality assurance and professional development in teaching and learning. In 2022 he was appointed Principal of the Malmö
Academy of Music, Lund University.
Works by:
Indra Riše (Latvia, b. 1961) Procession with Bells (2019) [5’] (submitted by the ISCM Latvian Section)
Páll Sólstein (Faroe Islands b. 1964) Kom andin halgi (2023) (ISCM WNMD 2024 Host Selection)
Kristian Blak (Faroe Islands, b. 1947) Dímun for organ (2024) (ISCM WNMD 2024 Host Selection)
Madeleine Isaksson (France, 1956) Span (2021) [‘10] (submitted by the ISCM Swedish Section)
Louis Karchin (United States, b. 1951) Processions (2020) [6’] (submitted by the ISCM USA Section)