Ice musical extravaganza set for Geilo

23rd December 2008, by Chris Gill

Geilo, Norway will be the venue for a unique music festival in January - the only one in the world where the instruments are made of ice.

The Ice Music Festival takes place in the resort from 9 to 11 January 2009 and features top musicians - some rather accomplished at ice sculpting too - playing in the special snow and ice arena on the slopes. The festival coincides with the first full moon of the New Year and so the concerts will take place under the frosty evening skies (hopefully, clear and moonlit!).

Bill Covitz from USA will build the world’s first ice-harding fiddle for musician Nils Økland to play. And local Geilo musician Terje Isungset will hold the Full Moon concert at 1070 meters.

Terje Isungset has been playing concerts worldwide last year. At the London Jazz Festival in November he played an ice-horn carved from ice originating from the Svartisen-glacier in Norway (ice that is 2,500 years old). The audience were so mesmerized that he was invited to play two additional concerts.

As well as the unusual concerts, there will be dance and light displays including Flame Show - performed by the Bright Night International group from Scotland.

And you can watch the sculpture masters at work or join in a workshop and have a go yourself, before enjoying the evening’s events.

Ice Music Festival

• norway
• musical extravaganza
• geilo

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