Nordic Viola performs at 5th St Magnus Conference

Thanks to funding from Creative Scotland and the Ambache Charitable Trust, raising the profile of music by women, Nordic Viola will perform at the 5th St Magnus Conference on the evening of Thursday 16th April, 7pm, at the Islesburgh Community Centre, Lerwick, Shetland.

Founded in 2016, Nordic Viola is a flexible ensemble of woodwind and string players forming musical and cultural connections in the North Atlantic Region with an emphasis on contemporary music and its relationship with traditional forms. In partnership with the Institute of Northern Studies’ 5th International St Magnus Conference, Nordic Viola present reflections on female experience of landscapes, motherhood and social gatherings around the North Atlantic region in music by women composers for string quartet. The programme includes “Machair” by young Highland composer Lisa Robertson (shortlisted in Scottish Awards for New Music 2019), previous commissions from Greenlandic composer Arnannguaq Gerstrøm, Lillie Harris and Anna Appleby traditional music from Iceland arranged by American Jocelyn Hagen, new music by traditional fiddlers Margaret Robertson (Shetland) and Fiona Driver (Orkney) and, following Nordic Viola’s collaboration in Orkney 2018, music influenced by Orcadian history and Hardanger fiddle style by Gemma McGregor.

Following rehearsals in school, Nordic Viola will be joined by fiddle students from Anderson High School in “Mjørkaflókar” a piece about Shetland and the Faroes they created in workshops with Katherine Wren in 2016, which was performed by music students in the Faroe Islands in 2018.

Creative Scotland is the public body that supports the arts, screen and creative industries across all parts of Scotland on behalf of everyone who lives, works or visits, and enables people and organisations to work in and experience the arts, screen and creative industries in Scotland by helping others to develop great ideas and bring them to life.

The Ambache Charitable Trust is active in raising the profile of women composers by funding people who promote their music to the widest possible circle. It supports people giving concerts, making recordings, radio or television programmes, or publishing music and books in ways that significantly bring attention to this repertoire.

Part of Scotland’s Year of Coasts and Waters 2020.