In conversation with Eli Tausen á Lava
Nordic Viola and Aldubáran will perform "Múrurin", composed by Eli Tausen á Lava, as part of Sagas and Seascapes in North Ronaldsay, 8th September and at St. Magnus Cathedral Kirkwall, 10th September as part of Orkney International Science Festival 2024.
Watch the video below to learn about the inspiration behind the piece, as told by the composer:
"It's the early 1300s. In the village of Kirkjubøur in the mediaeval Faroe Islands, Bishop Erlendur has just started construction of the St. Magnus Cathedral, which will be the largest and most beautiful cathedral in the archipelago.
It is unknown whether the cathedral was ever finished, but seven hundred years later, only the walls remain as a reminder of Bishop Erlendur's dream. Among the islanders, the ruins are simply known as Múrurin, 'The Wall'." — Eli Tausen á Lava
Introducing Eli Tausen á Lava
Eli Tausen á Lava takes you into a musical world where time flows differently — where the seconds seem endless while the minutes pass in the blink of an eye. His music is simple and characterized by a minimalistic approach where everything unnecessary is stripped away until only the core remains.
In 2023, Eli Tausen á Lava collaborated with the Faroe Islands’ foremost contemporary music ensemble, Aldubáran, on a musical portrait showcasing his origins and artistic maturation as a composer. The resulting concert, featuring the new work mykines (2023) for sinfonietta, was a resounding success and earned a nomination at the 2024 Faroese Music Awards
Eli Tausen á Lava released his second solo album, In a Field, in 2022. Powerful pianistic melodies mixed with soothing electronic atmospheres told a broad range of stories from Eli Tausen á Lava’s life. The album earned favourable reviews, with GAFFA’s Jesper Nøddeskov proclaiming: “In a Field does something special. It’s intellectually stimulating, but it doesn’t stop there… In a Field is a physical experience that, quietly, goes straight to your gut.”
Two years earlier, Eli Tausen á Lava released his debut album, Impressions — a musical response to the suspended state the world found itself in during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic. Consisting of three works that each move at a glacial pace, the album is a slow burn that distorts the passage of time. Marcin Kozicki of Stacja Islandia stated that Impressions “should be seen as a coherent whole; a gently flowing stream gradually revealing its beauty to us.”
In May, Eli Tausen á Lava is graduating from New York University with a master’s degree in music theory and composition. During his time there, he has honed his ability to arrange sound and silence with Bang on a Can co-founders Michael Gordon and Julia Wolfe.
He previously earned his bachelor’s degree in composition in 2022 from the Malmö Academy of Music, where he studied with Rolf Martinsson, one of Sweden’s leading composers. Prior to that, Eli Tausen á Lava studied composition at the Tórshavn Music School with the renowned Faroese composer Sunleif Rasmussen.
Read more about the 2022 collaboration between Eli Tausen á Lava and Orla Stevens in creating 'The Seal Woman' artwork (pictured below) for Sagas and Seascapes here.
'The Seal Woman' by Orla Stevens
To keep up to date, check out Orla & Eli's work:
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