An AUGUR was an extremely prestigious and highly paid position in the ancient Roman government. His task was to forecast the future by studying the birds and even cutting them up. AUGUR ENSEMBLE does not use birds or intestines. The 5 augurians do not claim to be able to predict the future. They rather seek the other side of anticipation, fearlessly confronting the unknown with crooked melodies and twisted rhythms. AUGUR ENSEMBLE is made up of young, upcoming musicians from Sweden, Norway, and Switzerland. The ensemble is focused on creating a collective using “open-source” compositions, and then reworking the material using an improv-approach. This group takes a backwards look at music making: Composing, arranging, and improvising can all be considered equal artistic gestures. The ensemble’s rich sound is an important anchor for creative work. It combines traditional and extended play techniques. This can include instrumental songs, 4-part-chorals and percussive layers as well as soft noise structures. The term “chambermusic” refers to the dynamic spectrum. Although augur ensemble doesn’t provide a big blast, it does offer a sensitive and flexible interaction between the players and the room. line-up: Eirik Dorsdal (NO) / trumpet Anni Elif Egecioglu (SE) / cello, voice Fabian M. Mueller (CH) / piano Kaspar von Grunigen (CH) / double bass Oyvind Hegg-Lunde (NO) / drums from http://augurensemble.com
