2nd edition: Once Upon… Curiosity.
The second edition of V Coloris’ new chamber music festival, under the overarching title “Once Upon…,” will be held from October 7th to 9th, 2023, at Koncertkirken in Copenhagen. The festival will focus on three individuals whom one should be curious to get to know. All three played significant roles in the music and cultural life of the 20th century, yet they did so without attracting the greatest attention. It seems that over time, awareness of these individuals and their accomplishments has diminished. Therefore, driven by curiosity and in collaboration with our audience and followers for the occasion of “Once Upon… Curiosity,” we aim to delve deeper into their stories. So, who are we talking about?
During “Once Upon… Curiosity,” we will pay tribute to these three individuals for their unwavering love for music and their generous investment in others and their musical projects. A fulfilling life (with music) often results from being able to absorb and ride the waves set in motion by others in one’s youth, and later, with accumulated experience, to sow new seeds and pass the baton.
Building on the tradition of commemorating the anniversary of the first public performance of Carl Nielsen’s Wind Quintet Op. 43 on October 9th, 1922, we will explore new and different approaches with Nielsen’s quintet, contrasting it with the approach taken during “Once Upon… Infinity” from October 7th to 10th, 2022, where we aimed to recreate the concert of October 9th, 1922, as faithfully as possible. In 2023, Nielsen’s quintet will be analyzed and presented from fresh perspectives and challenged by the other works featured in the festival. Just as Nielsen composed his quintet inspired by Mozart’s Sinfonia Concertante K.297b, we have asked composer Mette Nielsen to continue the series by writing a piece inspired by the aforementioned works of Nielsen and Mozart. This new composition will be premiered in the same concert where we perform Nielsen’s Wind Quintet.
Joining us artistically for “Once Upon… Curiosity” are pianist Marianna Shirinyan, violinists Anna Agafia and Adam Koch Christensen, violist Dana Zemtsov, cellist Andrei Ionita, bassist Matthias Petri and harpist Zach Hatcher. They will assist us in conveying the curious stories of the three music enthusiasts in focus. Similar to the 2022 festival, an important aspect of the 2023 festival will be a family concert, which, like last year, will take place at Folkehuset Absalon and be hosted by Christine Skou.
We’ll tell more stories in 2024 at Once Upon… Maturity, October 4-6. Save the dates!
