Kristian Blak (born 1947) is a Danish composer, musician, and record executive based in the Faroe Islands.
Early life
Kristian Blak was born in Jutland, Denmark, in 1947.[1]
He moved to the Faroe Islands in 1974, where he has written most of his musical works.[1]
Career
Blak is the founder of the Nordic musical ensemble Yggdrasil (named after the world tree known as Yggdrasil). He has worked with sounds from Faroese nature in several compositions. These include concerts in caves and other natural "concert halls" in the Faroe Islands.[2] He has composed solo instrumental works, chamber music, choral works and symphonic music,[3] for example the ballad Harra Pætur og Elinborg.[4]
In 2010 Queen Margrethe of Denmark visited the Faroe Islands, and one of the events she visited was a grotto concert in Klæmintsgjógv (Gorge of Klæmint) by Blak and other musicians. The cave is 50 m (160 ft) high, and the sea in the cave is around 400 m (1,300 ft) deep. There are some places inside the cave where the musicians can stand with their instruments and give a concert to the audience in boats.[5]
Blak is the chief executive officer of Tutl, which is the leading record label in the Faroe Islands.[6]
2011 Heiðursgáva Landsins (Prize of Honour from the Faroese Ministry of Culture) – DKK 75 000[8]
Musical works
2001 PINIARTUT with Tellu Virkkala, Rasmus Lyberth and Ville Kangas
1999 24 PRÉLUDES
1998 KLÆMINT
1997 SHALDER GEO
1991 RAVNATING
1990 FIRRA
1989 ADDEQ
1988 ANTIFONALE
1987 FJAND with Svend Bjerg
1984 KINGOLØG
1983 SJÓMANSRÍMUR
1979 SNJÓUGLAN
Albums
Solo albums
2005 Úr Holminum, 8 tracks, Tutl
2005 Snjóuglan, 10 Tracks, Tutl
1999 Klæmint Tutl
1992 Harra Pætur og Elinborg[9]
1991 Ravnating, 8 tracks, Tutl[10]
Yggdrasil
2004 LIVE AT RUDOLSTADT
2002 YGGDRASIL
1984/1995/2000 CONCERTO GROTTO & DRANGAR[11]
1988 BRØYTINGAR Koncept: Ole Wich
1983/85 THE FOUR TOWERS & HEYGAR OG DREYGAR
1982 RAVNATING
1981 DEN YDERSTE Ø
Spælimenninir
2003 Malargrót
1996 Flóð Og Fjøra
1986 Hinvegin
1984 Rekaviður
1980 Burturav
Spælimenninir í Hoydølum
Spælimenninir í Hoydølum is the name of a former musical ensemble, they took name after a place name in Tórshavn called Hoydalar, the High School is located there.
1984 Á ferð
1987 Umaftur
1977 Spælimenninir í Hoydølum
Music for children
2003 Sóljudansir
1997 Øll hava veingir
1985 Syng bara við
1983 Nósi
1977 Nu ska' vi u å sejle við Kræklingum og øðrum.
^ a b"About". Kristian Blak. Retrieved 2 July 2023.
^Visitfaroeislands.com The Faroese Tourist Board
^Composers.fo Archived 11 June 2015 at the Wayback Machine A Faroese website with information about Faroese composers
^Harra Pætur og Elinborg on iTunes
^Captain.nordlysid.com Archived 23 December 2013 at the Wayback Machine About the grotto concerts (in English)
^Tutl.com
^BBS.fo[permanent dead link] Virðisløn M.A. Jacobsens fyri mentanaravrik 2002 (in Faroese)
^Kringvarp.fo The National Faroese Radio and Television (in Faroese)
^AllMusic Harra Pætur og Elinborg
^AllMusic
^AllMusic Concerto Grotto og Drangar
Further reading
Kirsten Brix, Erhard Jacobsen, Ole Wich (ed.): Très bien. Kristian Blak 60 år. Tórshavn: Plátufelagið Tutl, 2007 (126 s., incl. CD) ISBN 978-99918-3-223-4