Tuesday, November 29, 2011

JÓHANN JÓHANNSSON TO PRESENT THREE DISTINCT PERFORMANCES IN NORTH AMERICA

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PERFORMS THE MINERS’ HYMNS WITH SCREENING OF FILM IN NYC

WORLD PREMIERE OF “A PRAYER TO THE DYNAMO” WITH WINNIPEG SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA

PERFORMS WITH FORMALIST QUARTET AT HOLLYWOOD FOREVER CEMETERY


Acclaimed Icelandic musician, composer, and producer Jóhann Jóhannsson is making landfall in North America for three exciting and unique performances. The first stop is New York City. Jóhannsson will perform, in its entirety, his most recent release, the haunting soundtrack to Bill Morrison’s film The Miners’ Hymns. This performance features a 22-piece brass and string ensemble and will be accompanied by a screening of the documentary. The event will take place at the World Financial Center’s Winter Garden on January 31st as part of WNYC’s Wordless Music Series, hosted by John Schaefer.

From “Thee Miners Hymns”

The next stop is Winnipeg, Manitoba, where, on February 3rd, the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra will perform the world premiere of Jóhannsson’s “A Prayer to the Dynamo,” a piece specifically commissioned by the WSO for Winnipeg New Music Festival.

Finally, Jóhann will traverse west to Los Angeles, where he’ll be joined by the Formalist Quartet for a retrospective concert at the Masonic Lodge at Hollywood Forever Cemetery on February 8th. This will follow a performance on KCRW’s “Morning Becomes Eclectic,” which airs on Tuesday, Feb. 7th at 11:15 PST. JJ-outside-2-edit_th

JÓHANN JÓHANNSSON TOUR DATES:

Friday, January 31st - New York, NY @ World Financial Center’s Winter Garden - 7PM, FREE

WNYC Wordless Music Series, hosted by John Schaefer

Jóhann Jóhannsson performs the live score to Bill Morrison’s film The Miners’ Hymns

Friday, February 3rd - Winnipeg, Manitoba @ Centennial Concert Hall - 8PM

World Premiere of “A Prayer to the Dynamo,” commissioned and performed by the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra

Wednesday, February 8th - Los Angeles, CA @ The Masonic Lodge at Hollywood Forever Cemetery - 8PM, $25

Jóhann Jóhannsson performs music spanning his entire career with the Formalist Quartet

PRAISE FOR THE MINERS’ HYMNS

“Staggering depth, blast-furnace heat, and unending blackness—these are the sensations evoked by Jóhann Jóhannsson’s somber and bombastic score for The Miners’ Hymns.” – Utne Reader

“The album's final track...feels like an epiphany, a generous flooding of light that casts a backward glow on all the gloom and pallor that preceded it…It's a quietly exhilarating ‘hallelujah’” - Pitchfork

“While nowhere near as immediate as Jóhannsson’s string-based albums…The Miners’ Hymns is far more complex in its use of dynamics while succeeding totally in its evocation of time, place and message.” – BBC

“Playing with long near-silences, sweeping interludes and very subtle electronic manipulation create breaks to then restore the prevailing quiet. It's incredibly affecting, showing a restraint and deftness…” – Exclaim!

The Dirty Lowdown

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