Kristian Blak

Kristian Blak in front of his house on Tinganes.

Kristian Blak (born 31 March 1947), originally from Fredericia, Denmark, lives in the Faroe Islands where he is a composer, musician, and record executive. He is the founder of the Nordic musical ensemble Yggdrasil (named after the World tree Yggdrasil). He has worked with sounds in the Faroese nature in several compositions. These include concerts in caves and other natural "concert halls" in the Faroe Islands.^[1] He has composed solo instrumental works, chamber music, choral works and symphonic music,^[2] for example the ballad Harra Pætur og Elinborg.^[3][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 Kristian Blak and other musicians. The cave is 50 meter high and the sea in the cave is around 400 meter deep. There are some places inside the cave where the musicians can stand with their instruments and give a concert to the audience in the boats.^[5]

He is the chief executive officer of Tutl, which is the leading record label in the Faroe Islands.^[6]

In 2002 he received the Faroese Literature Prize for his work with music in the Faroe Islands.^[7] In 2011 he received the Heiðursgáva Landsins, which is handed at the same time as the Faroese Literature Prize, given by the Faroese government.

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^[8]
• 2005 Snjóuglan, 10 Tracks, Tutl^[9]
• 1999 Klæmint Tutl^[10]
• 1992 Harra Pætur og Elinborg^[11]
• 1991 Ravnating, 8 tracks, Tutl^[12]

Yggdrasil

• 2004 LIVE AT RUDOLSTADT
• 2002 YGGDRASIL
• 1984/1995/2000 CONCERTO GROTTO & DRANGAR^[13]
• 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
• 1984/86 REKAVIÐUR & HINVEGIN
• 1980 BURTURAV

Spælimenninir í Hoydølum

Spælimenninir í Hoydølum is the name of a former musical ensamble, 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.

Prizes

• 2011 Heiðursgáva Landsins (Prize of Honor from the Faroese Ministry of Culture) – DKK 75 000^[14]
• 2002 Faroese Literature Prize – DKK 150,000

Private life

Kristian Blak was married to Sharon Weiss in November 1977, she is also a musician and comes from Lexington, Massachusetts. Together they have three children: Mikael, Sámal and Rebekka.

See also

• Music of the Faroe Islands

Literature

• 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

References

1. Visitfaroeislands.com The Faroese Tourist Board
2. Composers.fo A Faroese website with information about Faroese composers
3. Rateyourmusic.com
4. Harra Pætur og Elinborg on iTunes
5. Captain.nordlysid.com About the grotto concerts (in English)
6. Tutl.com
7. BBS.fo Virðisløn M.A. Jacobsens fyri mentanaravrik 2002 (in Faroese)
8. Last.fm Úr Holminum
9. Last.fm Snjóuglan
10. Last.fm
11. Allmusic.com Harra Pætur og Elinborg
12. Allmusic.com
13. Allmusic.com Concerto Grotto og Drangar
14. Kringvarp.fo The National Faroese Radio and Television (in Faroese)

External links

• Kristian Blak personal site