Nordischer Klang (English: ''Nordic Sound'') is the largest festival of Nordic culture in Germany. It is a major platform for artists from Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, and

Sweden Sweden, formally the Kingdom of Sweden,The United Nations Group of Experts on Geographical Names states that the country's formal name is the Kingdom of SwedenUNGEGN World Geographical Names, Sweden./ref> is a Nordic country located on ...

in Germany. The festival takes place in the town of Greifswald, which is situated about 200 km to the north of Germany's capital Berlin at the Baltic shore. ''Nordischer Klang'' is organised by a non-profit society loosely associated with the Department of Nordic Studies at the University of Greifswald.

History

The festival began in 1992 and has since then taken place every year. A wide range of activities is offered every year, covering the whole spectrum of culture in the form of live performances, exhibitions, shows, lectures and courses, e.g. about film, theatre, literature, social developments, comedy, and different types of music. The festival is usually under the patronage of one politician from Germany and one from the Nordic countries. 2007 The 16th festival in 2007 was under the aegis of

Harald Ringstorff Harald Ringstorff (25 September 1939 – 19 November 2020) was a German politician of the Social Democratic Party (SPD) and the 3rd Minister President of the state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. He headed a coalition government of the SPD and PDS ...

(then governor of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern) and the Minister of Culture of Denmark. 2008 The 17th festival took place from 2 to 9 May under the patronage of Thorgerdur Katrín Gunnarsdóttir (Minister of Culture of Iceland). Among the performing guests were the Scandinavian Jazz stars Viktoria Tolstoy and

LaGaylia Frazier LaGaylia Frazier (born 16 February 1961) is an American-born Swedish singer who specializes in Soul and jazz. Early life and work LaGaylia Frazier was born in Miami, Florida. and grew up in Miami Shores. As a child she played classical piano ...

. 2009 The 18th festival from 2 to 9 May was under the aegis of Erwin Sellering (the governor of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern) and Alexander Stubb (Minister of Foreign of Finland). Headliners were the Finnish singer Johanna Iivanainen, who played together with the saxophonist

Eero Koivistoinen Eero Koivistoinen (born 13 January 1946, in Helsinki) is a Finnish jazz musician and saxophone player, who started his career in the mid-1960s. Koivistoinen has worked as a musician, composer, arranger, conductor, producer and educator. He first h ...

auftrat, the Marilyn Mazur Group and the sami singer

Sofia Jannok Brita Maret "Sofia" Jannok (born 15 September 1982) is a Swedish Sami artist, singer, songwriter and radio host. Several times, she has publicly taken a stance in social media against the establishment of mines on land used by Sami reindeer herd ...

. There were also different comic-exhibitions, amongst others drawings by

Steffen Kverneland Steffen Kverneland (born 14 January 1963) is a Norwegian illustrator and comics writer. He was born in Haugesund, and settled in Oslo from 1987. He has specialized on creating comics series based on classical literature. Among his early albums ar ...

. 2010 The 19th festival took place from 6 to 15 May. It was under the patronage of Norway and Erwin Sellering (the governor of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern) and Alexander Stubb (Minister of Foreign of Finland). Highlights were the concerts of the Danish progressive/rock-band

The Savage Rose The Savage Rose is a Danish psychedelic rock group, formed in 1967. Career The band was founded in 1967 by Thomas Koppel, Anders Koppel, Alex Riel, Jens Rugsted, Flemming Ostermann, and singer Annisette Koppel. Ilse Marie Koppel was also parti ...

, the Swedish entertainer

Sylvia Vrethammar Eva Sylvia Vrethammar (born 22 August 1945, Uddevalla, Sweden), is a Swedish traditional pop and jazz singer. She is the daughter of Harald Vrethammar, an education official, and Britta Vrethammar, a musical education teacher, specializing in the ...

and the

Valkyrien Allstars Valkyrien Allstars (established 2003 in Oslo, Norway) is a Norwegian Hardingfele Trio whose music is based on Norwegian traditional folk music. They present many different genres and styles with a very distinctive sound. In 2006 Valkyrien Allsta ...

, a folk/pop-group from Norway. 2011 In 2011 the Nordischer Klang celebrated its 20th birthday from 5 to 15 May.

Lena Adelsohn Liljeroth Lena Elisabeth Adelsohn Liljeroth (born 24 November 1955) is a Swedish politician who served as Minister for Culture and Sports from 2006 to 2014. A member of the Moderate Party, she was an MP of the Swedish Riksdag from 2002 to 2014. Persona ...

the Swedish Minister of Culture had the patronage. Great acts were the Elin Larsson Group (S), the Jan Lundgren Trio &

LaGaylia LaGaylia Frazier (born 16 February 1961) is an American-born Swedish singer who specializes in Soul and jazz. Early life and work LaGaylia Frazier was born in Miami, Florida. and grew up in Miami Shores. As a child she played classical piano ...

(S/USA; Special guest:

Lars Danielsson Lars Danielsson (born 5 September 1958) is a Swedish jazz bassist, composer, and record producer. Biography Danielsson was born in Smålandsstenar, and was educated at the Conservatory of music, music conservatory in Gothenburg. He plays doub ...

), a Danish pop-night with the bands Bird and Catbird, the Finnish Wimme Saari Group and the event "Universum" (universe) from

Per Kirkeby Per Kirkeby (1 September 1938 – 9 May 2018) was a Danish painter, poet, film maker and sculptor. Biography By the time Kirkeby completed a masters degree in arctic geology at the University of Copenhagen in 1964, he was already part of the ...

. 2012 Under the motto "mächtig gewaltig" (mighty giant) the 21st Nordische Klang took place from 3 to 14 May under the patronage of Denmark's Minister of Culture Uffe Elbæk together with the Governor of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern Erwin Sellering. The Olsen Gang was in town, when Morten Grunwald alias Benny, the last living actor of the criminal trio, who showed together with the MDR-presenter Janine Strahl-Oesterreich a new Biographie of the Egon-actor

Ove Sprogøe Ove Wendelboe Sprogøe Petersen (21 December 1919 – 14 September 2004) was a Danish actor. Life Born in Odense, his parents were Arthur and Inger Sprogøe Petersen. He married Eva Rasmussen in 1945, with whom he had three children. O ...

. Musical highlights were the Swedish jazz-trombonist Nils Landgren together with the NDR Bigband, the Polish-Danish pop group Czesław Śpiewa, the Norwegian EstherOrkester and the finish band The Irrationals. Even the founder of the avant-garde jazz in the former Soviet Union Wjatscheslaw Ganelin came to the festival with his trio Priority. 2013 Under the patronage of Iceland too the 22nd Nordischer Klang took place from 2 to 13 May. It was opened with the performance by the Icelandic artist Anna María Björnsdóttir. A special was a music video, which was produced for Greifswald. Kitty Von-Sometime made it with her Weird Girls Project. 14 young women were filmed in crazy costumes in Greifswald. Other highlights were the indie-night with Møll from Norway and Tilbury from Iceland, the Finnish pop-group Popband

Mariska & Pahat Sudet Mariska (born Anna Maria Rahikainen; 19 February 1979 in Helsinki) is a Finnish rapper, singer and songwriter. She writes her songs by herself, and the lyrics often deal with relationships, male chauvinism and politics. Biography Mariska began ...

and the debut of the blues singer Jes Holtsøs alias Börge, a former actor of the Olsen gang.

External links

Nordischer Klang

moritzTV (student channel) video of Nordischer Klang 2006
{{authority control Greifswald University of Greifswald Events in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania Music in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania Folk festivals in Germany Music festivals established in 1992 Spring (season) events in Germany

History

Sponsors

External links