Lys Og Forfald

Description

"Haugaard is the master of sublime moments" - British music magazine "Sing out"

In the past 20 years Harald Haugaard has established himself as one of Denmark's most acknowledged musicians. In his virtuoso fiddle playing he combines the playful ease with a rich and melancholy sound. His compositions are contemporary, original and in his overall artistic work deeply rooted in the rich Danish musical tradition.

In the creation of music and performing Haugaard is an artist who is inquisitive and continuously searches for something new. He is undoubtedly rooted in traditional Danish music but brings with him a contemporary flair.

The prestigious British music magazine fRoots has hailed him as one of the world's best folk fiddlers and the venerable classic string magazine The Strad regards Haugaard as a "charismatic virtuoso" in their review of his concert at London's King's Place in April 2009 saying: "Wonderfully clean playing and dynamic delivery"

Harald Haugaard grew up on North Funen in the central part of Denmark in a family where singing, traditional dance and music were the centre of life. His grandfather John Kristensen - a Jutland wood carver and traditional accordion player - was Haugaard's earliest musical inspiration. Traditonal Danish dance music became one of Haugaard's biggest musical influences and still today features prominently in his performances.
In 1998 Harald Haugaard completed music studies at the Carl Nielsen Academy of Music, Odense where he studied violin and choir/ensemble conducting. During his studies he switched from classical violin tutors to traditional folk fiddlers which included fiddler, Hans Jørgen Christensen, who could be described as Haugaard's maestro and Fanø fiddler Peter Uhrbrand. Haugaard became the first educated folk fiddler from the academy. This unique education was later the platform for his bachelor/master education in traditional and contemporary Danish folk music which the Carl Nielsen Academy now offers. After Haugaard's final exam in 1998 as fiddler and ensemble/choir conductor he was employed as a teacher with the very same course. From 2000 to 2005 he worked as the head of the folk music department.

Alongside his studies Haugaard established himself as a musician and composer with the experimental-folk ensemble DUG, techno-folk ensemble Sorten Muld, subsequent folk-fusion band Serras and the highly successful duo Haugaard & Høirup, which he toured with guitarist Morten Alfred Høirup for 10 years. Haugaard & Høirup became one of Denmark's biggest music export successes with approximately 1000 concerts world wide and seven highly regarded album releases.

In 2009 Harald Haugaard released his first solo album "Burning Fields", which included some of his own compositions alongside his innovative interpretations of traditional Danish material. The album celebrated Haugaard's place in the Danish music scene.

The Danish music magazine Gaffa wrote in the five-star review of the album:
"Haugaard is the fiddler above everybody else at the national scene (...) he dashes in and places himself in that throne that was ready for him"

As a composer Harald Haugaard is first of all known for the compositions for his own ensembles. However in December 2005 Haugaard's first orchestral piece 'Birth', his string quartet in a minor and the Dybbøl Suite which had it's premiere at the opening of the 10th folkBALTICA Festival in 2014. Haugaard has also composed and produced traditional material for various theatre and film shows.

Outside of the tours and recordings, Haugaard is known as an excellent and enthusiastic music teacher. Along with his job as associated professor at the Carl Nielsen Academy he has regularly taught as guest at the Norwegian Academy of Music, Vestjysk Musikkonservatorium, Ollerup Collage of Music and Song, the Royal Swedish Music Academy, Alasdair Fraiser's Fiddle Camp (CA, USA), the Royal Music Conservatory Toronto (CAN), Musikhochschule Luzern (CH) and Folkworks Summer School, Gateshead (GB). In the summer of 2009 Harald Haugaard opened for the first time his own fiddle school "Haugaard's International Fiddle School in Breklum, Germany which is an intensive one-week course in fiddle and Danish folk music and attracks 120 students from all over the world.

In October 2009 Harald Haugaard produced the opening concert at Womex 09 in Copenhagen which featured a variety of Nordic music styles and highly profiled artists.

As a solo artist and with his ensembles Harald Haugaard has received a total of 13 Danish Music Awards, the Preis der deutschen Schallplattenkritik, Rødovre Music Prize and in 2008 he received the honour prize of the Danish Musicians Union and Odense Live Prisen

In 2011 Haugaard released "Den Femte Søster" (Eng: "The Fifth Sister") and for this album he received Danish Music Awards "Folk Album of the Year" and "Instrumentalist of the Year".

In 2015 he releases the third album in the trilogy with Burning Fields and Den Femte Søster named "Lys og Forfald" (ENG: Light and Decay) which will bring Haugaard and his band all around in Europe, North America and Japan throughout 2015.
www.haraldh.dk