Clavinata Nos. 1-7; Piano Sonata No. 1; Downtoned Beats - Mikkola, Laura - Hundsnes, Svein
- Product Code: GP800
Svein Hundsnes is one of Norway's most important living composers. He has composed an extensive collection of music covering a range of lively styles, moving seamlessly from tonal and non-tonal music to jazz, rock, and even funk. Hundsnes' Clavinatas series—single-movement, independent pieces with a symmetrical form, often with a toccata-like vitality—embody the characteristics that make his music so distinctive. Often syncopated, they feature short motifs, intensity, and emotional ambiguity. Piano Sonata No. 1 and Downtoned Beats reflect his enjoyment of drama and dance grooves. Finnish pianist Laura Mikkola studied at the Sibelius Academy in Helsinki, the Curtis Institute in Philadelphia, and the University School of Music in Bloomington, Indiana. She has studied under Murray Perahia, Menahem Pressler, Gary Graffman, Dmitri Baskirov, and Tapani Valsta, and has participated in master classes with Ferenc Rados. Ms. Mikkola has won numerous awards, including second prize at the prestigious Queen Elisabeth International Piano Competition in Brussels (1995), first prize at the Unisa Transnet International Piano Competition in Pretoria, South Africa, first prize at the Maj Lind Competition in Helsinki (1992), and first prize at the International M. Ravel Piano Competition in France (1988).
