Mariussen/Eskeland Duo consists of Synne Mariussen and Jonas Eskeland. During their four years of bachelor's studies, the two have explored many different works together; and have landed safely in a repertoire that suits them well. They present their work at the Voices of Women conference in Weimar, and at the Festivals in Northern Norway; supported by UiT / UMAK-Conservatory of Music.

Lori Laitman's two song cycles for mezzo/soprano and alto saxophone are very popular in the USA, where they are frequently used in conservatories and performed in concert series.

The composition is simple, the music is appealingly idiomatic, and poignant and dynamic in expression. Laitman has composed the poems so openly that they allow a great degree of musicality which she specifies in the balance of lyrical lines, bouncy rhythms, sighing motifs and flowing phrase breaks.

Program:

Lori Laitman: from Living in the Body (2001) and I Never Saw Another Butterfly(1996/2018) on saxophone.

The project is one of five grant projects awarded by UiT Norway's Arctic University, as part of a strategic collaboration between the Festivals in Northern Norway and UiT Norway's Arctic University.

About the collaboration

- As the only institution in the region, UiT trains artists and musicians for a variety of roles and tasks in cultural life.

The collaboration with the Festivals in Northern Norway is a highly relevant practice arena and an important point of contact with the professional field our students aim for, but above all a platform where they can present their own projects to both festival audiences and other festival actors.

The scholarship scheme has received a good response from the students, and we look forward to further developing the collaboration with FiNN in the coming years, says Solmund Nystabakk, deputy director for education at UiT.