Nina Björk Elíasson

B. 1946. Icelandic. Since 1968 living in Denmark.

Cand.mag. in music and rhetorics from the University of Copenhagen. Further vocal studies a.o. with Jo Estill (U.S.A.).

Nina Björk Elíasson has explored the voice as an instrument using phonetics, human sounds, different vocal qualities and feelings. This resulted in Arietta and other works done with the improvisation group “Madam Press” (CD Out of the Cage 2002), and Morning poems (2004) with Lars Juul (drums, electronics and voice), Week 507 for a chorus (2005), Rondo for two Girlfriends with a Mobil (2005), Yes thank you (2005) voice, electronics, video.

The solo voice CD Phosphorous Sincerely (Tutl 2006) contains a.o. Ramling Robot using mostly sounds made in the pharynx. One reviewer thought it was “torture”. DMT reviews it as “a vocal tour de force – sounding both brand-new and referring back to New York and Darmstadt in the 50ties and 60ties, as well as to dadaism in the twenties … masterly done.”

Nina last work is Gryla done in cooperation with Randi Pontoppidan and performed by 10 vocal artists at a voice festival (2006). There Nina also started working with the french fluteplayer Mariane Bitran. Another coming project is work with Line Tjørnhøj and Tine Louise Kortermand on Language and art. As a singer and composer Nina has made three CD´s with the group Klakki (nordic worldmusic) working with a.o. guitarplayer Hasse Poulsen. She has tought voice for many years at The University of Copenhagen and at the University of Education and made Sangbogen on voice and singing (1986).

nbeliasson@mail.dk

http://www.Tutl.com