Nordic Viola

Bára Gísladóttir (Iceland): Laufgar 10’
Katherine Wren (Scotland), Arnannguaq Gerstrøm (Greenland) & Renzo Spiteri (Scotland): Arctic Edgelands 40’

Inspired by a year travelling in the Far North, RSNO viola player Katherine Wren founded Nordic Viola in 2016 with the goal of exploring cultural connections between Scotland and the North Atlantic region. With a focus on contemporary music influenced by folk traditions, Nordic Viola has an impressive catalogue of specially commissioned work.

“a quietly pioneering project”
David Kettle, The Scotsman

Arctic Edgelands is a collaborative music project from Nordic Viola featuring Katherine Wren, Greenlandic composer and flautist Arnannguaq Gerstrøm and Shetland-based percussionist, composer and sound recordist Renzo Spiteri.

Taking as its starting point the intersection between Shetland and Greenland at 60°N, the programme explores the stories and experiences of humans, mammals and birds as they traverse the North Atlantic to Sisimiut on the Arctic Circle in a sonic melting pot of flute, viola, percussion, electronics and field recordings.

Katherine Wren (viola)
Renzo Spiteri (percussion/electronics)
Richard Craig (flute)

Funded by Creative Scotland (National Lottery)