Piano Concert by Norwegian Pianist Knut Erik Jensen in Atlanta
Knut Erik Jensen performed with excellence in Atlanta on Friday, March 20, 2009 at Emory University's White Hall in Atlanta, Georgia.
The concert included two 40 minutes sets with a twenty-minute intermission.
Mr. Jensen showed is versatility and incredible performance skills and interacted with the audience, providing insight and historical perspective to the classical piano pieces from a variety of Norwegian composers.
Knut Erik Jensen' wonderful concert evoked a standing ovation at the end of the concert and was followed by a reception with over an hour of socializing among the many concert goers.
Mr. Jensen signed many autographs and posed for photographs and was a very gracious guest of the Sons of Norway. We hope that he will consider returning to Atlanta in his next American tour.
Knut Erik Jensen is the most frequently used pianist for the opera company in Trondheim and he has done projects like “The Magic Flute” by Mozart, “Cavalleria Rusticana” by Mascagni, “Eystein av Nidaros”, by Henning Sommerro, “Petite Messe Solenelle by Rossini and “La Traviata,” by Verdi as well as several opera galas and master classes.
During the tour version of La Traviata, Knut Erik became the orchestra itself by playing the entire orchestra part on piano. In some of these projects, he also participated as a choir singer. He has also played an active role in the new concept of “opera pub” or “opera cafe´s,” performing opera in a bar or restaurant in a loose atmosphere. This has increased awareness about opera and classical music by bringing so-called “high culture” into a different arena.
Knut Erik´s biggest solo project so far has been to bring Norwegian culture and music to foreign countries. The project started with a concert in Yaiza on the Spanish island of Lanzarote and a performance of Edvard Grieg for American guests in Norway.
He also performed the Grieg A-minor Concerto on the Norwegian national day with the Kristiansund Symphony Orchestra in 2006.
He continued by playing the music of Edvard Grieg and telling about his life and the Norwegian culture in the USA and Canada during the winter and fall of 2007, for instance at the big Norwegian Høstfest in Minot, North Dakota.
Here he also performed the Grieg A-minor Concerto with the Minot Symphony Orchestra conducted by Dennis Simons. He also cooperated with the Norwegian Embassy and the Norwegian General Consulates in the USA and performed at the Rice University in Houston, Texas. Future tours will take him all around the North-American continent with Norwegian piano
Knut Erik recorded a new CD called "Nordic Elegance" in November 2008 containing music by Norwegian composers such as Geirr Tveitt, Christian Sinding and David Monrad Johansen. Visit Knut Erik Jensen on MySpace and listen to his music.
Knut Erik recently worked as a rehearsal pianist and choir singer in Puccinis opera La Boheme. The production was by the Music Theatre in Trondheim and it was staged 7.-12. of November in Olavshallen.
