16 musicians from 8 countries, 5 concerts, world premieres,
and an impressive church…
Ceren Türkmenoğlu (Turkey)
Kenneth Dahl Knudsen (Denmark)
Julia Czerniawska (Poland)
Mark Pinhasov (Azerbaijan)
Ensemble Flensburg
Artistic Director: Shaul Bustan
about
WELTIVALE, a new mini-festival in Flensburg, presents a diverse world music experience from September 28th to 29th, 2024, a weekend with five concerts and a conversation with the composers. The “New World Music” brings together various musical styles and cultural influences, with artists composing new pieces based on their roots. WELTIVALE invites four composers to solo and ensemble concerts at St. Johannis Church. The festival, aiming to enrich the cultural life of Flensburg, emphasizes music as an emotional bridge between different cultures.
Violinist Julia Czerniawska presents Polish-inspired melodies, Ceren Türkmenoğlu enchants with violin and Turkish Rebab, double bassist Kenneth Dahl Knudsen creates musical connections between traditions, and multi-instrumentalist Mark Pinhasov showcases versatile musical landscapes. The finale with the Ensemble Flensburg presents four premieres. The festival aims for tolerance and understanding of the unknown, promoting the discovery of beauty in the foreign and new.
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THE FESTIVAL program
day I – 28.09.24
28.09. 16:00
TALK AND OPENING OF THE FESTIVAL
Open discussion with all four composers about their work, inspirations, the daily life as musicians in Germany, Denmark, and Turkey. Moderated by Shaul Bustan, the Artistic Director of the festival, with audience discussion at the end. (In English)
28.09. 18:00 – concert 1
Ceren Türkmenoğlu (Turkey)
Ceren Türkmenoğlu enchants with violin and Turkish Rebab, presenting her own musical pieces. Inspired by Ottoman music and the works of Ottoman composers from various ethnicities, the concert promises a fascinating journey through soundscapes. Together with Shaul Bustan (Oud and Percussion), an impressive experience of music and improvisation is offered. Multi-instrumentalist and composer Ceren Türkmenoğlu studied at the Hacettepe University Ankara State Conservatory and the University of Music and Theatre Leipzig. After her work at the Ankara State Opera and Ballet and the Istanbul State Symphony, she pursued her master’s degree in the USA. Ceren twice received the Project Award from the Boston Foundation for “Music from Where the Sun Rises.” As a versatile artist, she presented projects at renowned institutions such as Harvard University and the Boston Museum of Fine Arts. Her commitment ranges from traditional instruments to contemporary compositions, documented on her debut album “Mâî.” www.cerenturkmenoglu.com
28.09. 20:00 – concert 2
KENNETH DAHL KNUDSEN (DENMARK)
The new musical piece by Danish bassist Kenneth Dahl Knudsen, “Ginnungagap,” explores his Danish roots in a solo and duo setting. It presents a modern interpretation of music that dates back over 1000 years. Ginnungagap is the description in Nordic mythology for what existed before the world’s existence. It’s a place of potential and energy, yet without order and full of chaos. The 12 movements in the piece represent the 12 rivers that flowed from Niflheim and created the Earth with the flames from Muspelheim. It’s a contemporary reinterpretation of Danish sagas, myths, and music.
It’s known that the Vikings used harps and lyres in their music, likely brought back from their southern raids. This project imagines how this sound will be recreated through the Oud (Shaul Bustan) and the bass (Kenneth Dahl Knudsen).
Whether he’s in a smoky cellar in Morocco, a hut on the Greenland ice sheet, or a jazz club in Tokyo, Kenneth Dahl Knudsen has a personal and artistic mission to create the music of the future, reflecting human traditions and cultures. From his location in northern Denmark, he brings ancient musical traditions and their contemporary interpreters into play – with the thoroughness of a composer, the wildness of a jazz musician, and the infinite curiosity of an anthropologist.
www.kennethdahlknudsen.net
day II – 29.09.24
29.09. 16:00 – concert 3
JULIA CZERNIAWSKA (POLAND)
The Julia Czerniawska Group performs original compositions, melodic tunes inspired by Polish folklore. The musicians shape the ensemble’s sound by organically combining their diverse musical and cultural backgrounds. Through lively interplay of violin, viola, and other instruments, a band sound emerges that is both swinging and atmospherically intense.
Julia Czerniawska grew up in a musical family and began playing the violin at the age of six. After completing her violin studies in Poland and Austria (at the Mozarteum Salzburg University), she played in various European orchestras and smaller ensembles. During her classical training, she discovered her fascination for jazz and improvised music. By participating in various bands and studying jazz with Didier Lockwood in Paris, she developed her musical freedom and joy in exploring different musical styles.
With:
Matt Adomeit – Bass
Jan-Olaf Rodt – Guitar
Ignaz Dinné – Saxophone
29.09. 18:00 – concert 4
MARK PINHASOV (AZERBAIJAN)
Mark Pinhasov presents a fascinating solo concert, where he plays various instruments such as guitars, percussion, a looper, and electronics. His music and improvisations are unique and inspired by his birthplace, Azerbaijan, as well as his life in Israel and Germany.
Mark Pinhasov is a platinum-selling music producer, film composer, multi-instrumentalist, and co-founder of White Camel, a music company based in Berlin. He has composed music for films and TV series for studios such as HBO, RTL, ARD, WB, and YES.
His versatile musical landscapes encompass orchestral pieces, electrifying guitars, addictive hip-hop beats, atmospheric textures, and epic, breathtaking arrangements. Nevertheless, his songwriting skills produce both catchy pop tunes and authentic folk pieces. Innovation and originality are perhaps the most striking features of his work. www.markpinhasov.com
29.09. 20:00 – concert 5
ENSEMBLE FLENSBURG
Festival Finale, featuring four new premieres composed by Kenneth Dahl Knudsen (Denmark), Ceren Türkmenoğlu (Turkey), Mark Pinhasov (Israel/Azerbaijan), and Julia Czerniawska (Poland) for the Ensemble Flensburg, including: Anja Kreuzer (Flute), Ishay Lantner (Clarinet) Cem Aktalay (Bassoon), Suleika Bauer (Violin), Laila Hvidsteen Lauritsen (Viola) Martin Pratissoli (Cello), Finn Strothmann (Double Bass), Shaul Bustan (Oud and Musical Direction)
The ensemble was founded in September 2021 and is based in Flensburg with eight musicians from Germany, Italy, Denmark, Israel, Switzerland and Turkey. They present special concerts of new music and form a young, enthusiastic ensemble in the far north. The music is always project-specific and composed especially for the ensemble by young composers from Germany, Denmark, and around the world. It encompasses various styles, including modern classical music, world music, jazz, and improvised music, incorporating elements of their respective cultures and countries. This is new and communicative music that will also appeal to audiences not typically consuming contemporary music. www.ensembleflensburg.com
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