Sinikka Langeland Ensemble

Sinikka Langeland  vocal, kantele
Arve Henriksen  trumpet
Trygve Seim  soprano and tenor saxophones
Anders Jormin  double-bass
Markku Ounaskari  percussion

Inspired by the old impovisation-tradition on kantele Sinikka enjoys to work with jazzmusicians.The ensemble has recorded , Starflowers, ECM 2007, and The Land That Is Not, ECM 2011.

Sinikka Langeland Trio

Sinikka Langeland  vocal, kantele
Lars Anders Tomter viola
Markku Ounaskari  percussion

Sinikka Langeland’s new music for kantele, viola and percussion has been inspired by the mythical nature poetry of Tomas Tranströmer. “The kantele almost sounds like an entire orchestra by itself,” a journalist wrote after a concert, and this unusual instrument is presented here alongside Lars Anders Tomter’s superb viola, crafted by Gasparo da Salò in 1590. Langeland’s new trio also serves as a meeting place for three musical traditions.

Tomter is internationally renowned as “the giant of the North” in the classical viola tradition, but in this context he is exploring a somewhat new landscape with improvisation as part of his performance. Markku Ounaskari is a prominent and award-winning Finnish jazz musician who also plays in Langeland’s ensemble. Manfred Eicher of the ECM record label invited Langeland to compose instrumental music with the kantele as a focal point after her first recording for the company.

Runesongs from Finnskogen

The project to bring rune songs alive resulted in the book Karhun Emuu and the CDs Tirun lirun and Runoja. Sinikka was awarded the Edvard Prize for Runoja and the Norwegian- Finnish cultur Prize in 2003 together with Ove Berg.

Medieval Ballads

Her recordings of medieval ballads, “Strengen var af rode guld” and “Lille Rosa”, were both nominated for a Spellemannspris (Norwegian Grammy award).

Folkhymns  J.S.Bach

Sinikka Langeland vocal, kantele
Kåre Nordstoga  organ
Lars Anders Tomter  viola

Sinikka is also very interested in norwegian folkhymns, She and organist Kåre Nordstoga are exploring the development of the old hymns in the norwegian folk song tradition as compared with J. S. Bach’s choral arrangements of the same songs. The work with J.S. Bach and Folkhymns has lead to cooperation with viola player Lars Anders Tomter. Together with Nordstoga and Tomter she recorded Marias Song, ECM 2009.