Almost Classic: Works by Thommessen, Mahler & Buene

Almost Classic from the Poing ensemble presents works by Olav Anton Thommessen, Gustav Mahler and Eivind Buene. Poing started playing together in 1999 and have since been one of the leading ensembles for contemporary music in Scandinavia. They have played in clubs and concert halls in most European countries, the US as well as in China and Japan. Constantly expanding their repertoire, they have played more than 150 first performances and worked closely with composers such as Maja S.K. Ratkje, Bent Sorensen, Terry Riley, Rolf Wallin, Natasha Barrett, Richard Barrett, Michael Finnissy, Volker Heyn and Helmut Oehring. Their unique flexibility results in many untraditional commissions that go beyond the usual interpretation, interaction, and dissemination of contemporary music. For their work with contemporary music, POING were in 2009 awarded "Performer of the Year" by the Norwegian Society of Composers. The trio collaborates regularly with musicians from around the world, with backgrounds in different styles - from folk and traditional, via popular music to experimental expressions. Among others, POING have collaborated with Swedish, Swiss, Nepali, Brazilian, Ameri-can, Azerbaijani, Mongolian, Egyptian, Chinese, Japanese, Indian, Iranian, Mauri-tanian, Ivorian, Tanzanian, Irish, Faroese, Icelandic, Finnish, Peruvian, Brazilian, Baltic, Sami, Russian and Spanish musicians. This unusual Norwegian trio is doing interesting work off the beaten track. The unusual begins with the instrumentation [...] and display considerable technical depth and breadth, as well as strong ensemble identity. - Julian Cowley, The Wire

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Frode Haltli - accordion, vocals (6, 7, 8) Hakon Thelin - double bass, vocals (7, 8, 9) Rolf-Erik Nystrom - alto saxophone, vocals (7, 10)