Press release, december 5th 2019
NOMINEES FOR 10TH ANNUAL HARPA NORDIC FILM COMPOSER AWARDS ANNOUNCED
Composers from Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden nominated,
with the winner to be announced on Feb 24th during
HARPA Nordic Film Music Days at Nordische Botschaften in Berlin.
Berlin, Dec. 5th, 2019- The composer organizations from the five Nordic countries announced the nominees for the 10thAnnual HARPA Nordic Film Composer Awards. The nominees are Kåre Bjerkø (Denmark) for “The Truth Will Out”, Panu Aaltio (Finland) for “Luontosinfonia”, Gyda Valtysdottir (Iceland) for “Mihkel”, Gaute Storaas (Norway) for “Bröllup, Begravning och Dop”, and Anders Niska & Klas Wahl (Sweden) for “Balloons over Babylon.” The five nominated composers show once again the versatility, high quality, and strong individual grit of Nordic music talent.
The award ceremony will take place on Monday, Feb 24th at the Auditorium of the Felleshus of the Nordic Embassies/ Nordische Botschaften, Rauchstrasse 1, 10787 Berlin as part of the Nordic Film Music Days.
The winner of HARPA Nordic Film Composers Award 2020 will be selected by an international jury, consisting of Davíð Þór Jónsson, (Film Composer and 2019 HARPA award winner, Iceland), Christine Aufderhaar (Film Composer, Switzerland), Florian Vollmers (Festival Management, Nordic Film Days Lübeck, Germany), Jean-Michel Bernard (filmcomposer. France) and George Christopoulos (Music Agent, Greece).
Since 2016 the HARPA Nordic Film Music Days and the HARPA Nordic Film Composers Awards have been taking place at the Nordische Botschaften in Berlin in connection with the Berlinale Film Festival. Building on past experiences, and with new impulses and collaborators, the Nordic Film Music Days will bring exciting and innovative composers for media music from the Nordic countries to Berlinale. It’s a great opportunity to meet Nordic composers, listen to their music and learn from their work. The HARPA Nordic Film Music Days, in collaboration with EAVE producers, Berlinale Talents, and European Film Market, will take place on Sunday, Feb 23rd and Monday, Feb 24th. During those two days, audience members will have the opportunity to watch the five nominated movies and listen to the scores, witness engaging panels and insightful talks, attend the HARPA Award show, and mingle with Nordic composers & composer organizations during the award after-party with music entertainment.
All events and activities are open to the public and free of charge with sign-up.
Sign-Up for the HARPA Awards: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/harpa-award-show-tickets-84527456899
Sign-Up for the After-Party: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/harpa-after-party-tickets-84527817979
The full program for the HARPA Nordic Film Music Days lectures and talks will be announced on Feb. 1st.
About the nominated composers:
Kåre Bjerkø (Denmark) for “Det som Göms i Snö”
Statement: “It is extremely nice when someone appreciates my work.
As a film composer, you often disappear into the role of a form of craftsman, so this nomination is clearly something I am proud of.”
For more information: http://www.nordicfilmmusicdays.com/karingre-bjerkoslash-dk.html
Panu Aaltio (Finland) for “Nature Symphony - Luontosinfonia”
Statement: “I'm truly honored and humbled to receive the nomination among all the amazing competition this year. I'm particularly happy it is for this exact film, which has been so important to me personally. There's huge possibility in taking people on a nature adventure where they bring the narrative from their own experience. I think it can lead to deeper empathy and understanding.”
For more information: http://www.nordicfilmmusicdays.com/panu-aaltio-fi.html
Gyda Valtysdottir (Iceland) for “Mihkel”
Statement from director Ari Alexander Ergis Magnússon:
“From the first day that I meet Gyda, 15 years ago, I felt that she was a musical genius and I was just waiting for the right moment for us to collaborate. Filmmaking is a huge marathon and it was many years later when I had written this script Mihkel when I saw her again. By total accident I went to a concert by Gyda. There she was performing like a beautiful creature from a unknown planet, this was the sound and mood I had been looking for. I asked her after the concert if we could meet for a coffee, due to that I had a film coming up. I gave her the script, she liked it and then the real work began. It was wonderful to work with her, so amazing, she is a hard working composer full of beautiful ideas, and here we are today.“
For more information: http://www.nordicfilmmusicdays.com/gyetha-valtyacutesdoacutettir-is.html
Gaute Storaas (Norway) for “Bröllup, Begravning Och Dop”
Statement: “For everybody expressing themselves, it is important to be seen, and when it’s your actual profession, it’s vital. It is such a nice message to get, and I feel very fortunate to be chosen as my country’s nominee. I know they have considered works by colleagues I have the deepest respect for, and it makes me humble and grateful. I received the award in 2011. That was a pleasant shock, and I think it helped put my name on the radar of film workers in the neighboring countries. The last decade, I have actually been working more in Sweden than in Norway, and I wholeheartedly support the Nordic idea.“
For more information: http://www.nordicfilmmusicdays.com/gaute-storaas-n.html
Anders Niska & Klas Wahl (Sweden) for “Balloons over Babylon”
Statement: ”As an artist or composer you struggle all the time composing and creating. Sometimes everything flows and at other times you are just stuck. When I got the news about this nomination I was working very hard but I came nowhere. All of a sudden everything changed! It means a lot to us and it shows that we are doing something right!
It’s the relationship with people like Folke Rydén and other creative filmmakers that makes it fun. When you bring something to the table or try to push things from your comfort zone, you need trust. I think we got that in Balloons Over Babylon. So, to get nominated is just so much more than the music for us.”
For more information: http://www.nordicfilmmusicdays.com/niska--wahl-se.html
For images of all nominated composers: https://tinyurl.com/rfcp6u3
About HARPA Nordic Film Composer Days and HARPA Nordic Film Music Awards:
Since 2009 the Nordic film composers from the five Nordic countries have met twice a year.
As part of the strategy to put more attention to Nordic Film Music the HARPA Nordic Film Composers Award was created. By meeting at Nordic Film Music Days, the film and media composers are also exchanging ideas, and thereby strengthening the awareness of the working situation of the film and media composers in each country.
Working from a multifaceted musical palette with a vast variety of experiences to draw from, the Nordic film and media composers are known for their ability to do whatever it takes to tell the story; whatever it takes to serve the film.
List of HARPA winners:
2010 | Gothenburg Dani Strömbäck | Postia pappi Kaakobille | Finland
2011 | Copenhagen Gaute Storaas | Elias og jakten på havets gull | Norway
2012 | Reykjavik Fredrik Emilson | Kronjuvelarna | Sweden
2013 | Norway Tuomas Kantelinen | Puhdistus | Finland
2014 | Espoo | Matti Bye | Faro | Sweden
2016 | Berlin | Johann Johannsson | Lifetime achievement | Iceland
2016 | Berlin | Atli Örvarsson | Rams | Iceland
2017 | Berlin and Cannes | Sune Martin | Under sandet | Denmark
2017 | Berlin and Cannes | Bent Fabricius-Bjerre | Lifetime achievement | Denmark
2018 | Berlin | Daníel Bjarnason | Undir trénu |Iceland
2019 | Berlin | Davíð Þór Jónsson | Kona fer í stríð | Iceland
Partners in HARPA Nordic Film Music Days:
SKAP (The Swedish Society of Songwriters, Composers & Authors)
FST (Föreningen af Svenske Tonsättere) Music Finland
Finnish Music Creators FMC STEF (Icelandic Collective Rights Management Society)
NOPA (Norwegian Society of Composers and Lyricists)
Norsk Komponistforening (Norwegian Society of Composers)
Music Norway
BFM (Danish Organization for Film- and Media Composers)
MXD Music Export Denmark
For media requests and additional information:
White Bear PR | Thomas Mikusz
thomas@whitebearpr.com | +1.310.230.5678
Nordic Film Music Days is supported by Nordic Film and tv foundation and carried out as a cooperation between the HARPA partners and Nordische Botschaften.
Press release, Tuesday February 12th 2019
HARPA Nordic Film Composers Award 2019 goes to composer Davíð Þór Jónsson and his director Benedikt Erlingsson.
Concluding an Award Show at the beautiful Auditorium of the Felleshus of Nordische Botschaften, Tuesday February 12th 2019 HARPA Nordic Film Composers Award was handed out for the 9th time as a part of Nordic Film Music Days 2019.
Nomination text
This year's five nominated scores for the HARPA Nordic Film Composers Award were vastly different between them but separately they were truly the perfect fit for the stories they were composed for.
A supernatural drama from Norway, THELMA, fused atmospheric electronic elements with beautiful acoustic melodic lines. A Danish tale, QEDA, set on a dystopian future, was equally served by a score that was cruising between the ambient evocative score and the immersive sound design. On the contrary the story of GOLIAT didn't want to evoke the audience but to awaken it, like its protagonist, gradually, powerfully yet subtly. The nominated score from Finland, for the high concept of the historical drama, LAUGH OR DIE, from its first frame set the tone of a lyrical, comical and tragic journey, all at the same time. And similarly the determined Icelandic female lead of WOMAN AT WAR, was accompanied by her own... band, that set the tone not only to her story, and the narrative's rhythm, but the character itself, too.
This exact last element, together with the exquisite originality of the score and its usage within the film, has lead the jury of the HARPA Nordic Film Composers Award to give the best score award to WOMAN AT WAR. In film scoring the criteria are never solely musical but also include the creative collision of the craftsmanship of a director and a composer. Hence, specifically this year's award goes to both the director composer Davíð Þór Jónsson and the director Benedikt Erlingsson, for the distinct and highly original result their collaboration generated both musically and visually. With this Award this year we wish to further encourage the filmmakers to see music as a significant element of the story that elevates the story's impact and not just as a formulaic ingredient that becomes somewhat important during post-production.
Jury
Composer Christine Aufderhaar (Switzerland)
Filmmusic agent George Christopoulos (Greece)
Festival manager Florian Vollmers (Germany)
Nomination video (where David is telling about the cooperation): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pV0vOZSjeW4
Link to press photo
ABOUT HARPA Nordic Film Music Days and Harpa Nordic Film Composers Award
Since 2009 the Nordic film composers from the five Nordic countries have met twice a year.
As part of the strategy to put more attention to Nordic Film Music the HARPA Nordic Film Composers Award was created. Each of the Nordic countries has been given a free hand to develop an individual profile, collaborative partners and arena for the award ceremony.
From 2010 through 2014 the price was handed out in each of the Nordic countries in conjunction with a local film festival.
By meeting at NFMD, the film- and media composers are also exchanging ideas, and thereby strengthening the awareness of the working situation of the film- and media-composers in each country.
Working from a multifaceted musical palette with a vast variety of experiences to draw from, the Nordic film and media composers are known for their ability to do whatever it takes to tell the story; whatever it takes to serve the film. You can say that Nordic composers make their movies and directors win prices.
In the seminars and workshops Nordic Film Music Days 2019 will also focus on cooperation.
Full program here http://www.nordicfilmmusicdays.com/program-2019.html
List of HARPA winners:
2010 | Gothenburg Dani Strömbäck | Postia pappi Kaakobille | Finland
2011 | Copenhagen Gaute Storaas | Elias og jakten på havets gull | Norway
2012 | Reykjavik Fredrik Emilson | Kronjuvelarna | Sweden
2013 | Norway Tuomas Kantelinen | Puhdistus | Finland
2014 | Espoo | Matti Bye | Faro | Sweden
2016 | Berlin | Johann Johannsson | Lifetime achievement | Iceland
2016 | Berlin | Atli Örvarsson | Rams | Iceland
2017 | Berlin and Cannes Sune Martin | Under sandet | Denmark
2017 | Berlin and Cannes | Bent Fabricius-Bjerre | Lifetime achievement | Denmark
2018 | Berlin | Daníel Bjarnason | Undir trénu |Iceland
Partners in HARPA Nordic Film Music Days
SKAP (The Swedish Society of Songwriters, Composers & Authors)
FST (Föreningen af Svenske Tonsättere)
Music Finland
Finnish Music Creators FMC
STEF (Icelandic Collective Rights Management Society)
NOPA (Norwegian Society of Composers and Lyricists)
Komponistforeningen (Norwegian Society of Composers)
Music Norway
BFM (Danish Organization for Film- and Media Composers)
Concluding an Award Show at the beautiful Auditorium of the Felleshus of Nordische Botschaften, Tuesday February 12th 2019 HARPA Nordic Film Composers Award was handed out for the 9th time as a part of Nordic Film Music Days 2019.
Nomination text
This year's five nominated scores for the HARPA Nordic Film Composers Award were vastly different between them but separately they were truly the perfect fit for the stories they were composed for.
A supernatural drama from Norway, THELMA, fused atmospheric electronic elements with beautiful acoustic melodic lines. A Danish tale, QEDA, set on a dystopian future, was equally served by a score that was cruising between the ambient evocative score and the immersive sound design. On the contrary the story of GOLIAT didn't want to evoke the audience but to awaken it, like its protagonist, gradually, powerfully yet subtly. The nominated score from Finland, for the high concept of the historical drama, LAUGH OR DIE, from its first frame set the tone of a lyrical, comical and tragic journey, all at the same time. And similarly the determined Icelandic female lead of WOMAN AT WAR, was accompanied by her own... band, that set the tone not only to her story, and the narrative's rhythm, but the character itself, too.
This exact last element, together with the exquisite originality of the score and its usage within the film, has lead the jury of the HARPA Nordic Film Composers Award to give the best score award to WOMAN AT WAR. In film scoring the criteria are never solely musical but also include the creative collision of the craftsmanship of a director and a composer. Hence, specifically this year's award goes to both the director composer Davíð Þór Jónsson and the director Benedikt Erlingsson, for the distinct and highly original result their collaboration generated both musically and visually. With this Award this year we wish to further encourage the filmmakers to see music as a significant element of the story that elevates the story's impact and not just as a formulaic ingredient that becomes somewhat important during post-production.
Jury
Composer Christine Aufderhaar (Switzerland)
Filmmusic agent George Christopoulos (Greece)
Festival manager Florian Vollmers (Germany)
Nomination video (where David is telling about the cooperation): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pV0vOZSjeW4
Link to press photo
ABOUT HARPA Nordic Film Music Days and Harpa Nordic Film Composers Award
Since 2009 the Nordic film composers from the five Nordic countries have met twice a year.
As part of the strategy to put more attention to Nordic Film Music the HARPA Nordic Film Composers Award was created. Each of the Nordic countries has been given a free hand to develop an individual profile, collaborative partners and arena for the award ceremony.
From 2010 through 2014 the price was handed out in each of the Nordic countries in conjunction with a local film festival.
By meeting at NFMD, the film- and media composers are also exchanging ideas, and thereby strengthening the awareness of the working situation of the film- and media-composers in each country.
Working from a multifaceted musical palette with a vast variety of experiences to draw from, the Nordic film and media composers are known for their ability to do whatever it takes to tell the story; whatever it takes to serve the film. You can say that Nordic composers make their movies and directors win prices.
In the seminars and workshops Nordic Film Music Days 2019 will also focus on cooperation.
Full program here http://www.nordicfilmmusicdays.com/program-2019.html
List of HARPA winners:
2010 | Gothenburg Dani Strömbäck | Postia pappi Kaakobille | Finland
2011 | Copenhagen Gaute Storaas | Elias og jakten på havets gull | Norway
2012 | Reykjavik Fredrik Emilson | Kronjuvelarna | Sweden
2013 | Norway Tuomas Kantelinen | Puhdistus | Finland
2014 | Espoo | Matti Bye | Faro | Sweden
2016 | Berlin | Johann Johannsson | Lifetime achievement | Iceland
2016 | Berlin | Atli Örvarsson | Rams | Iceland
2017 | Berlin and Cannes Sune Martin | Under sandet | Denmark
2017 | Berlin and Cannes | Bent Fabricius-Bjerre | Lifetime achievement | Denmark
2018 | Berlin | Daníel Bjarnason | Undir trénu |Iceland
Partners in HARPA Nordic Film Music Days
SKAP (The Swedish Society of Songwriters, Composers & Authors)
FST (Föreningen af Svenske Tonsättere)
Music Finland
Finnish Music Creators FMC
STEF (Icelandic Collective Rights Management Society)
NOPA (Norwegian Society of Composers and Lyricists)
Komponistforeningen (Norwegian Society of Composers)
Music Norway
BFM (Danish Organization for Film- and Media Composers)
PRESS-RELEASE, WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 3rd
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As part of the HARPA Nordic Film Music Days
Monday February 11th & Tuesday Februray 12th HARPA Nordic Film Composers Award will be handed out for the 10th time. HARPA Nordic Film Music Days will once again take place at the Nordische Botschaften in Berlin's Tiergarten-area and in 2019 Nordic Film Music Days are inviting editors, producers, directors, sound designers a.o. to a session of informal speed-meetings with the Nordic composers. Nordic Film Music Days is an opportunity to see, hear and meet some of the Nordic film- and mediacomposers. You can attend the seminars and lectures, speed-meet composers, have lunch with them, applaud the winner of the HARPA Nordic Film Composers Award and get a good beer at the afterparty. Following the great international branding around "Nordic Noir" and the popular wave of Nordic TV shows, HARPA Nordic Film Music Days offers the opportunity to present Nordic film- and mediacomposers to the film industry at the Berlinale. HARPA Nordic Film Music Days will also offer opportunities for capacity-building network meetings and workshops for Nordic film- and mediacomposers. HARPA Nordic Film Music Days is supported by the Nordic Embassies of Berlin. HARPA Nordic Film Music Days Nordische Botschaften Rauchstrasse 1, 10787 Berlin Monday February 11th and Tuesday February 12th 10 am until 7 pm See preliminary program here http://www.nordicfilmmusicdays.com/ - and sign up for our newsletter! We will be delighted to welcome you! |
WHAT IS NORDIC FILM MUSIC DAYS AND HARPA NORDIC FILM COMPOSERS AWARD?
Since 2009 the Nordic film composers from the five Nordic countries have met twice a year. As part of the strategy to put more attention to Nordic Film Music the HARPA Nordic Film Composers Award was created. Each of the Nordic countries has been given a free hand to develop an individual profile, collaborative partners and arena for the award ceremony. From 2010 through 2014 the price was handed out in each of the Nordic countries in conjunction with a local film festival. By meeting at NFMD, the film- and mediacomposers are also exchanging ideas, and thereby strengthening the awareness of the working situation of the film- and media-composers in each country. SKAP (The Swedish Society of Songwriters, Composers & Authors) FST (Föreningen af Svenske Tonsättere) Music Finland Finnish Music Creators FMC STEF (Icelandic Collective Rights Management Society) NOPA (Norwegian Society of Composers and Lyricists) Komponistforeningen (Norwegian Society of Composers) Music Norway BFM (Danish Organization for Film- and Media Composers) HARPA Nordic Film Music Day 2019 will be carried out by Project management: Lone Nyhuus, BFM, Denmark | Kate Havnevik, NOPA, Norway | Jonas Vebner MUSIC NORWAY, Berlin | Katariina Sorsa, MUSIC FINLAND, Finland | Halfdan E, Jesper Siberg, BFM, Denmark | Staff from NORDISCHE BOTSCHAFTEN, Berlin | Graphic design: Lilienfeld, Berlin | Advisory board: Edna Pletchero, George Christopolous Collaborators: Speedmeetings | EAVE and ACE producers Please note that for the 2019 edition of the Berlinale Norway will be ‘Country in focus’ at European Film Market. |
The winners of the HARPA award 2010 - 2014 and the prize of 10.000 euro were:
2010 Gothenburg Dani Strömbäck (Finland) for the music to the Finnish film "Letters to Father Jacob" (Finland).
2011 Copenhagen Gaute Storaas (Norway) for the music to the Norwegian film "Elias og jakten på havets gull".
2012 Reykjavik Fredrik Emilson (Sweden) for the music to the Swedish film "Kronjuvelarna".
2013 Trondheim Tuomas Kantelinen (Finland) for the music to the Finnish film "Puhdistus" ("The Purge").
2014 Espoo Matti Bye (Sweden) for the music for the Swedish film "Faro"
The winners of the HARPA award 2015 - 2018 were:
2016, Berlin Atli Örvarsson for his music for the film "Rams' and honorary award to Icelandic Johann Johannsson.
2017, Berlin and Cannes Sune Martin for his music for "Land of Mine" and honorary award to Bent Fabricius-Bjerre.
2018, Berlin, Daníel Bjarnason (Iceland) for his score to the feature film Under the Tree.
Contact Information
Project coordinator, Lone Nyhuus, DENMARK
lony@filmkomponister.dk - + 45 23 84 24 56
2010 Gothenburg Dani Strömbäck (Finland) for the music to the Finnish film "Letters to Father Jacob" (Finland).
2011 Copenhagen Gaute Storaas (Norway) for the music to the Norwegian film "Elias og jakten på havets gull".
2012 Reykjavik Fredrik Emilson (Sweden) for the music to the Swedish film "Kronjuvelarna".
2013 Trondheim Tuomas Kantelinen (Finland) for the music to the Finnish film "Puhdistus" ("The Purge").
2014 Espoo Matti Bye (Sweden) for the music for the Swedish film "Faro"
The winners of the HARPA award 2015 - 2018 were:
2016, Berlin Atli Örvarsson for his music for the film "Rams' and honorary award to Icelandic Johann Johannsson.
2017, Berlin and Cannes Sune Martin for his music for "Land of Mine" and honorary award to Bent Fabricius-Bjerre.
2018, Berlin, Daníel Bjarnason (Iceland) for his score to the feature film Under the Tree.
Contact Information
Project coordinator, Lone Nyhuus, DENMARK
lony@filmkomponister.dk - + 45 23 84 24 56
Fotos from 2018
