SPCO's Liquid Music And Swedish Institute Present BEDROOM COMMUNITY

Bedroom Community, "a creative hub of sonic geniuses that continues to evolve and produce incredible work" (BlackBook Magazine) operates out of Iceland as a collective and record label dedicated to the musical innovations of a close knit group of composers and performers including Daníel Bjarnason, Sam Amidon and Valgeir Sigurðsson. Celebrated as "a lightning rod at the juncture where the ambition of classical music meets the aesthetics of indie music" (Pitchfork), the collective teams up with Finnish violinist and SPCO Artistic Partner Pekka Kuusisto, primordial songstress Mariam Wallentin (Wildbirds & Peacedrums, Mariam the Believer) and the American Swedish Institute for a one of a kind performance on the grounds of the beautiful and historic Turnblad Mansion. Visitors can also experience The Weather Diaries, an art exhibition exploring fashion and identity from Greenland, Iceland and the Faroe Islands.

"American Swedish Institute and the SPCO's Liquid Music have been looking for an opportunity to partner for some time now," says LM curator Kate Nordstrum, "and the combination of our organizational focuses and resources makes an event like this exciting. SPCO Artistic Partner Pekka Kuusisto and Bedroom Community founder Valgeir Sigurðsson have worked closely with us to develop a framework for the concert, giving equal time to the music of Daníel Bjarnason, Sam Amidon, Sigurðsson and Mariam Wallentin (in her U.S. debut), with a few reimaginings of traditionAl Nordic folk tunes included as well."

Bedroom Community composer Valgeir Sigurðsson relishes the excitement and challenge of mounting such a wide ranging event: "A collaborative show like this one is a plate-spinning exercise, or like playing ping-pong with an octopus," says Sigurðsson. "Stay focused, or you'll miss something."

"It takes thoughtful, collaborative partnerships like this one with SPCO to create innovative and engaging programming like this," adds Scott Pollock, Director of Exhibitions at the American Swedish Institute. "I'm thrilled that this collaborative music project will draw on artistic content (as seen in The Weather Diariesexhibition project) that connects the old world and the new, the contemporary and the traditional in a direction that celebrates innovation in tradition through our shared heritage."

Pollock also expresses his excitement to partner with the SPCO's Liquid Music Series and participate in the SPCO's Where Words End festival, "As an educational organization committed to nurturing stronger links to contemporary Sweden and the Nordic region by promoting an exchange of ideas and values that benefit all people, the American Swedish Institute (ASI) couldn't be more delighted to co-present this music project with The Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra's Liquid Music program. The American Swedish Institute has become an internationally recognized leader as a vibrant arts and cultural center in the Upper Midwest, connecting its diverse audiences to the Nordic region."