Nordland Music Festival in London

Crown Prince Haakon attended the opening concert of the Brodsky Quartet, which featured Knut Erik Sundquist on double bass. The ensemble performed several classical works, including Quartet No. 3 in F by Russian composer Dmitri Shostakovich. Performances in London included three concerts that were part of this year’s summer concert series in Bodø.

Inspired by nature

In his opening remarks, the Crown Prince noted that the natural beauty of Nordland County has brought inspiration to artists as well as musicians:

“This is a spectacular part of our country - with its many islands, fjords and inlets, glaciers and dramatic mountain ranges. Its beauty has inspired artists of many kinds over the centuries – painters, writers and musicians alike. Nordland is also a county of contrasts – exemplified by the twenty-four hours daylight in summer and several weeks of darkness in winter.

People and culture of this region are obviously and inevitably influenced by the powers of nature. Nordland Music Festival captures this energy and communicates it to us.”

Twenty years of music

Crown Prince Haakon is the Royal patron of the Nordland Music Festival, which was held for the first time in Bodø in 1980.