Nobel Peace Prize 2018
In December 2018, Henning performed his composition “A little Piece for Peace” along with Petter Richter at the Nobel Peace Prize Gala Dinner in Oslo.
“A little Piece for Peace was composed for the Nobel Peace Prize 2018 and Laureates Nadia Murad and Dr Denis Mukwege. When I heard the stories of Nadia Murad and Denis Mukwege, I decided to compose a piece in their honour for the Gala Dinner, where guitarist Petter Richter and I performed on December 10th.
We gave this piece’s first performance, standing less than two meters from the award winners, along with Norway’s King, Queen and Prime Minister and many other prominent guests.
If you perhaps have any doubts about whether your New Year’s resolutions will have an effect, why don’t you support these noble causes where your donation could have a world changing effect.”
- Henning Kraggerud 2019
https://www.panzifoundation.org/donate/
https://nadiasinitiative.org/donation/
Leeds International Piano Competition
This September 2018, Henning will be joining the Leeds International Piano Competition as a jury member.
Further information is available here:
https://www.leedspiano.com/
Menuhin Competition 2018
Henning has been selected to be a jury member for this year's Menuhin Competition in Geneva!
This is what he has to say about the competition:
“One of the reasons I like to participate as a juror in the Menuhin Competition is that they seem genuinely concerned about making the life for future musicians better and more meaningful. Several years ago the competition implemented my suggestion of incorporating improvisation as part of the competition for the youngest musicians. This was once a natural part of classical music life, a stimulating way of trying out new ideas, and could revitalize the genre again. I am working for a freer classical music life where more players dare to be even more creative and spontaneous; write their own cadenzas and compose music of their own. This was the norm in the 17th to 19th Centuries but sadly has been neglected in the last few decades. The Menuhin Competition has been listening with great sympathy to my ideas, and I will certainly continue to work with organisations like this who want to progress in these important matters. I hope to see even more development in the years to come.”
Vivaldi Four Seasons: Winter
Henning recently filmed several outdoor recordings of "Winter" from Vivaldi's Four Seasons with the Arctic Philharmonic Chamber Orchestra.
Here are Allegro and Largo:
youtube.com/watch?v=gSSo_IxpFEg
youtube.com/watch?v=WSVOZoVWTto
ECHO Klassik Awards Ceremony 2017
Henning had a fantastic weekend 28 - 29th October in Germany, performing at the Klassik XL event on Saturday and receiving his and the Norwegian Chamber Orchestra's ECHO KLASSIK award on Sunday for their Mozart Violin Concertos (3, 4 and 5) Naxos album.
The album is available here:
ACO Tour 2017
Henning has just finished his Australian tour with the Australian Chamber Orchestra which ran from 1st - 12th September. Here are some quotes from the reviews:
The Advertiser [Adelaide Now]:
"Fostering the Grieg presence mercurial solo violinist, composer and director Henning Kraggerud was persuasive, his lengthy verbal prequels, kaleidoscopic violin timbres and energised direction revealing his Grieg passion at every turn"
"Kraggerud’s own Topelius Variations (From Topelius Time), an almost equally new work, provided a far more emotional counterpoint to one of Finland’s most compelling authors with a helter-skelter procession of strongly etched statements and immense drive"
"Whatever your perspective we were undoubtedly given a serve of really big-hair Grieg and it brought the house down in true ACO fashion”
Click here to read the review
Limelight Magazine:
"Kraggerud was a gregarious musical host, with a story to tell for each performance, his own joy and vitality reflected in the ACO musicians."
"The lush orchestral sound and melodies recalled Grieg, with Kraggerud leading the orchestra" (Henning's Topelius-Variations)"
Click here to read the review