Geir Dragsvoll
”Crushed chords droop or judder; mud seems to squelch; fog spreads; a singing bird flies high. These were just a few of the sounds forged through Gubaidulina's extraordinary adventurous ear and the dexterity and iron control of the brilliant Norwegian player Geir Draugsvoll” - The Times
Geir Draugsvoll (b. 1967) studied at RDAM, making his debut in 1992.
The accordionist Geir Draugsvoll has made a remarkable career during the last decades, both as soloist and chamber musician, but perhaps mostly by promoting the accordion as a soloist with Symphony Orchestras. Through collaborations with numerous composers such as Sofia Gubaidulina, Anatolijus Senderovas, Staffan Mossenmark, Bent Lorentzen and Martin Lohse, Geir Draugsvoll must also be characterized as one of the pioneers on the accordion, and he has premiered a large number of works. This includes "Fachwerk" by Sofia Gubaidulina, which is dedicated to Geir Draugsvoll, and today widely acclaimed as one of her most important works.
Teaching
Geir has been employed at RDAM since 1995, and was appointed Professor in 2012. In parallel with this, he has in some periods been a guest teacher/professor at the Tianjin Conservatory of Music, Music Academy Sarajevo, the Lithuanian Academy of Music and Hochschule für Musik und Darstellende Kunst, Graz, as well as teaching at the RDAM summer campus 2015-2018.
Artistic practice
Geir is regarded as one of the most important and innovative musicians in the accordion.
He has performed as soloist all over the world in festivals and concert-arenas like Concertgebouw (Holland), Alte Oper Frankfurt (Germany), Barbican Hall (London), Mariinsky Hall (Skt. Petersburg), Gasteig (Munich), Great Hall of Moscow Conservatory (Russia), Philharmonie Luxembourg, Lockenhaus Festival (Austria), Edinburgh Festival (Scotland), Rheingau Festival (Germany), Mittelfest (Italy), Konzerthaus (Berlin), Musikhalle (Hamburg), Bergen International Festival, (Norway), CCB (Lisbon), NGA (Washington), Zellerbach Hall (Berkeley) and many others. As soloist with orchestra, he has performed with London Symphony Orchestra, Münchener Philharmonic, Mariinsky Orchestra, Staatskapelle Dresden, Russian National Orchestra, Maggio Musicale Firenze, Norwegian Radio Symphony Orchestra, Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra, Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra, Amsterdam Sinfonietta, Kremerata Baltica, Moscow Soloists, Norwegian Chamber Orchestra, Trondheim Soloists, Stuttgarter Kammerorchester, Münchener Kammerorchester and collaborates frequently with conductors like Valery Gergiev, Donald Runnicles, Vasily Petrenko, Andres Mustonen, Eva Ollikainen, Clemens Schuldt, David Geringas, Joana Carneiro, Marc Soustrot, Alexander Mayer, Yuri Bashmet and many others. Furthermore, he has released around 25 CD’s on important labels such as EMI, BIS, Naxos, Simax and many more.
In 2014 Geir was the organiser of the Gubaidulina Festival at RDAM, and in 2016 he organised the Accordion Academic Festival. He has been the initiator and artistic director of the Nordaccordion festival in Norway since 2018.
Artistic development (KUV)
2016-2018: Collaborative Spaces – Geir Draugsvoll
Since 2016, the project has been presented on several occasions around Europe (Amsterdam, Moscow, Voss, Sarajevo and Copenhagen)
2002: Accordion Font – computer program for accordion notation
2001: Handbook in Accordion Notation
2001: Distant Teaching – teaching on the internet
Geir has given numerous concerts around Denmark and abroad, not least as a soloist at major festivals and venues such as the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam, the Barbican Hall in London, Alte Oper Frankfurt, Semperoper Dresden, Gasteig Munich, the Mariinsky Hall in St Petersburg, the Great Hall of the Moscow State Tchaikovsky Conservatory, the Edinburgh Festival in Scotland, the Seoul Arts Center in Korea, the National Gallery of Art in Washington, and many other places.
In addition, Geir has given masterclasses abroad on several occasions, including in Sarajevo, Oslo, Vilnius, Moscow, Florence, Rome, Helsinki, Luslawitze, Ottweiler, Warsaw, Beijing, Essen, Tianjin, Lisbon and Den Haag.
Distance Learning
From 2018: Distance Learning at the Conservatory of Music in Tianjin, China
2016: Distance learning session - “The Accordion – an instrument of the 20th century” – presented to Manhattan School of Music, New York
From 2016: Distance Learning at the Academy of Music, Vilnius, Lithuania
From 2015: Distance Learning at the Sibelius Academy, Helsinki, Finland
2013-2020 - Jury member in connection with PhD studies at the Sibelius Academy in Helsinki, Finland
2013 & 2019 - Jury member at the International Accordion Competition in Klingenthal, Germany
2015 & 2019 - Jury member at the International Accordion Competition in Klingenthal, Germany
2014-2016 & 2018 - Moderator at examinations at the Norwegian Academy of Music, Oslo
2018 & 2020 - Jury member at the Alkagran festival/competition in Poland
2017 - Jury member at the International Accordion Competition in Vilnius, Lithuania
2017 - Jury member at the International Competition in Pula, Croatia
2013, 2016 & 2017 - Jury member at the International Competition PIF in Castelfidardo, Italy
2011, 2012, 2014, 2016 & 2017 - Jury member at the International Accordion Competition in Arrasate, Spain
2016 - Member of the International Accreditation Panel, Academy of Music, Pula, Croatia
2015 & 2020 - Jury member at the International Bayan Competition in Moscow, Russia
2013 - Jury foreman at the International Accordion Competition in Arrasate, Spain
2013 - Jury member at the International Accordion Competition in Przemyszi, Poland
1995-2012 - Editor of ‘Classical Accordion Edition’, published by Edition-S (formerly the Society for the Publication of Danish Music)
Book publication
Geir Draugsvoll & Erik Højsgaard (2001) Håndbog i accordeon-notation (Handbook in Accordion Notation)
CD and LP releases
Sofia Gubaidulina
Fachwerk – Silenzio
Geir Draugsvoll, Anders Loguin, Geir Inge Lotsberg, Øyvind Gimse, Trondheim Symphony Orchestra
Naxos 8572772
Astor Piazzolla
Time of Life
Geir Draugsvoll, Mette Rasmussen
Naxos 8.572772
Igor Stravinsky, Modest Mussorgsky
Duos – for classical accordion
James Crabb, Geir Draugsvoll
EMI 5697052
Various composers
Quasi Improvisata
David Geringas, Geir Draugsvoll
Dreyer-Gaido DGCD21008
Sofia Gubaidulina
Silenzio / De Profundis / Et Exspecto / In Erwartung
Geir Draugsvoll, Arne Balk Møller, Henrik Brendstrup, Raschèr Saxophone Quartet, Kroumata Percussion Ensemble
BIS-CD-710
Astor Piazzolla
Sensations
Geir Draugsvoll, David Geringas, Lithuanian Chamber Orchestra
Delos DE3349
Various composers
Swedish Contemporary Music for String Quartet and Accordion
Geir Draugsvoll, Aniara Quartet
Intim Musik IMCD088
Gunnar Valkare
Viaggio
Various artists
Phono Suecia CD 115
Various composers
Classical accordion
Geir Draugsvoll
Simax PSC 1096
Klaus Ib Jørgensen
... and the lotus rose, quietly, quietly ...
Geir Draugsvoll, Athelas Sinfonietta Copenhagen, Jean Thorel
Dacapo 8.224201
Andy Pape, Ejnar KIanding, Ivar Frounberg, Mogens Winkel Holm, Klaus Ib Jørgensen, Leif Kayser
Værker for klassisk akkordeon
Geir Draugsvoll, Lise-Lotte Nielsen, Søren Kaas Claesson
Dacapo 8.224028
Hans-Henrik Nordstrøm, vol. 2
Zapolski Kvartetten, James Crabb, Geir Draugsvoll, the Jutland Ensemble, Fluention, Kirsten Schultz Hansen & Ensemble, Aarhus Piano Trio.
CLASSCD287
Anatolijus Senderovas
David’s Song
David Geringas, Pavel Giunter, Geir Draugsvoll, Tatjana Geringas, Arkady Gotesman, Augustinas Vasiliauskas, Vilnius Quartet, Girdutis Jakaitis, Audroné Vainiunaite, Arturas Silale
PH09005
Andy Pape, Erik Clausen
Houdini den store
Lise-Lotte Nielsen, Gurli Plesner, Stig Fogh Andersen, Jørgen Ole Børch, Svend Aaquist Johansen, Bente Errebo Nielsen, Jesper Lützhøft, Karl Petersen, Geir Dragsvoll, Frans Hansen
Helikon HCD 1003
Thuridur Jónsdottir
Installation around a heart
Geir Draugsvoll, Caput Ensemble
Jesper Koch
Chamber Music - 1
Madame Claude, Boreas Ensemble, Euterpe Ensemble, Aldubáran Ensemble, Rosalind Bevan, Geir Draugsvoll, Jesper Sivebæk, Tomas Kvæde
KON32280
Anatolijus Senderovas
Concerto in do
David Geringas, Zbignievas Zilionis, Tatjana Schatz-Geringas, Geir Draugsvoll Arkadijus Gotesmanas, Symphony Orchestra of the Lithuanian Academy of Music
Dreyer-Gaido DGCD21014
Hugo Herrmann-Wettbewerb
Für akkordeon-solisten
Geir Draugsvoll, Pascal Contet, Jerzy Kolodziej, Pavel Dreser
Hohner HS 8-099-145B (LP)
Niels Rosing-Schow
Winds and Percussion
Die Michaelstrompeter, DuoDenum, James Crabb, Geir Draugsvoll, Touché
Dacapo 8.226506
Ivar Frounberg
Orkesterværker
Geir Draugsvoll, Aarhus Symphony Orchestra, Frans Rasmussen
Dacapo 8.224027
Herborg Kråkevik
Alltid i mitt sinn
Herborg Kråkevik, Geir Draugsvoll, Bernt Rune Stray, Helge Liletvedt, strings from the Oslo Philharmonic
Universal Music 2786065
Various composers
100 best encores
Various artists
EMI 5099926475
Various composers
Animal Theme
Various artists
Warner Music Group
Sofia Gubaidulina
Best - Sofia Gubaidulina
Various artists
X5 Music Group
Igor Stravinsky
Top 10: Stravinsky
Var. Artists
Power to the women – The best of female classical composers
Geir Draugsvoll and others
Naxos Digital Compilations 9.00235
Binders full of women… composers
Geir Draugsvoll and others
Naxos Special Projects 9.00149
Various composers
150th Anniversary of the Royal Danish Academy of Music
Various artists
Dacapo 8.201202
