St Pölten open air brings Nordic music to Domplatz

The Tonkünstler Orchestra of Lower Austria will present Nordic music at the Domplatz Open-Air in St Pölten on Thursday, including a performance by Norwegian singer-songwriter Rebekka Bakken, ORF reported. The concert begins at 7 p.m.

The fourth edition of the Festspielhaus St Pölten concert series Tonkünstler and Friends is titled Nordlichter, or Northern Lights. The programme includes works by Edvard Grieg, Jean Sibelius, Hans Christian Lumbye and Johan Svendsen. The orchestra will be conducted by Finnish-British conductor Ross Jamie Collins.

Bakken will perform songs from her album Nord, which was inspired by the landscapes and atmosphere of her homeland. Faroese singer Eivør will also appear, alongside Finnish harmonica quartet Sväng and Norwegian violinist Ragnhild Hemsing, who will play the traditional Hardanger fiddle. Hemsing is scheduled to perform excerpts from Grieg’s Peer Gynt suite.

The organisers said the programme would extend beyond classical music, incorporating folk, jazz and contemporary sounds. Sväng’s repertoire ranges from freely interpreted folk music to Finnish tango.

The concert is also part of celebrations marking 40 years of St Pölten as the capital of Lower Austria. Radio NÖ will broadcast a recording of Nordlichter on Sunday, September 13, at 8.05 p.m.

Pop music will take over the Domplatz on Saturday, with performances by German singer LEA, Austrian musician Bibiza and Lukascher. Bibiza, whose real name is Franz Bibiza, combines rap, pop and indie elements. The Vienna-based musician recently released the album bis einer weint.