Ketil Bjørnstad - a Norwegian cultural prodigy at Kings Place
Renowned writer and pianist Ketil Bjørnstad is set to perform and talk at the upcoming Scene Norway event at London’s Kings Place.
-It is always a pleasure to play at the London Jazz festival, says Ketil Bjørnstad.
-And Kings Place; I don’t know too much about it really but it is my impression that it is a quite exceptional building and venue, so I guess I am in for a treat, having been asked to perform and talk there.
Ketil Bjørnstad has been called a cultural prodigy and he is beyond question one of the most creative and productive Norwegian artists at large today. And it is not just the quantity, but just as much the diversity and not least the quality of his work that makes him unique. A celebrated pianist, composer, and author Bjørnstad’s contribution to culture is of such a magnitude that it almost defies belief: more than forty books and close to fifty records is the count so far, and the man is a mere 56 years old.
At Scene Norway he will meet the audience as both author and pianist and as the subject of a special presentation by Fiona Talkington.
-I am playing a solo set and I am also going to talk about my latest book To the music, which will be released in the UK in the spring. Apart from that it is really up to Fiona how the “evening with Ketil Bjørnstad” will unfold. But she is a brilliant journalist and I think I will have things to say, so I’m confident that it will be a good experience for everyone.
Scene Norway’s curator Fiona Talkington and Ketil Bjørnstad have known each other for years and collaborated closely on several occasions.
-She has produced concerts of mine for BBC several times, says Bjørnstad. She is a good friend of mine and a great friend of Norwegian music so I am looking forward to events at Kings Place.
Beeing a diverse artist, Bjørnstad personally embodies the concept of Scene Norway, which is to make use of a strong musical program and the context of the London Jazz festival to introduce other vital voices of Norwegian culture to a British audience. Bjørnstad already has an audience in Britain and with a designated evening in connection with the opening of London’s most exciting new cultural centre, it is not likely to get smaller.
Date: Monday 17th November
Time: 8pm / Venue: Hall One
www.ketilbjornstad.com
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