The Circle Bjarke Falgren & Sönke Meinen

• Sönke Meinen (b. 1991), Bjarke Falgren (b. 1979): Droplets:
• 1 Meinen, Falgren: Droplets 05:58
• Train Home:
• 2 Meinen, Falgren: Train Home 04:26
• Harvest Song:
• 3 Meinen, Falgren: Harvest Song 04:25
• The Castellan's Waltz:
• 4 Meinen, Falgren: The Castellan's Waltz 02:59
• Bench on the Hill:
• 5 Meinen, Falgren: Bench on the Hill 04:35
• The Willow Tree:
• 6 Meinen, Falgren: The Willow Tree 04:09
• Critter's Carnival:
• 7 Meinen, Falgren: Critter's Carnival 02:51
• Falls of Measach:
• 8 Meinen, Falgren: Falls of Measach 03:07
• Behind the Wavy Glass:
• 9 Meinen, Falgren: Behind the Wavy Glass 03:19
• Eat, Play, Sleep, Repeat:
• 10 Meinen, Falgren: Eat, Play, Sleep, Repeat 03:45
• The Circle:
• 11 Meinen, Falgren: The Circle 05:41
• Total Runtime 45:15

Info for The Circle

Virtuose Spielfreude und scheinbar unerschöpfliche Kreativität – mit ihrem neuen Album „The Circle“ lassen Gitarrist Sönke Meinen und Violinist Bjarke Falgren ab dem ersten Ton alle Traditionen hinter sich und ziehen ihr Publikum mit feinfühligen Melodien sowie mitreißenden Grooves unweigerlich in ihren Bann. In ihren Konzerten sprengen sie die stilistischen Grenzen zwischen Folk, Jazz, Weltmusik und Klassik und begeistern mit ihrer ausdrucksstarken und lebendigen Musik ihre Fans in aller Welt. Dennoch nehmen sich die beiden Musiker nie zu ernst, lassen Raum für spontane Interaktion und verbinden ihre Kompositionen mit humorvollen und berührenden Geschichten.

Das neue Duoalbum „The Circle“ ist eine Hommage an das Füreinander-da-Sein, Einander-Zuhören und die Kraft eines starken Zusammenhalts. Es setzt dem Hype um „Self-Made People“ etwas entgegen und ist Freundschaften und Familien gewidmet, die sich untereinander auffangen und unterstützen – und dadurch etwas tieferes und wertvolleres erschaffen, als es im Alleingang jemals möglich wäre. Die Musik – als universell verständliche Sprache – bringt auf „The Circle“ nicht nur eine Vielzahl von Stilistiken wie Folk, klassischer Musik, Fingerstyle-Gitarre, Jazz und Filmmusik zu einem ungemein farbenreichen Gesamtklang zusammen, sondern vereint im Titelstück Musiker und Musikerinnen aus aller Welt: Von einer chinesischen Guzheng-Spielerin, über indische Tablas und türkische Oud zu amerikanischer Slidegitarre. Die Stücke auf „The Circle“ sind mal ganz zart und mal voller mitreißender Energie, erzeugen aber über 45 Minuten das Gefühl einer warmen Umarmung – und nicht zuletzt ein Zusammengehörigkeitsgefühl über alle Grenzen hinweg.

Bjarke Falgren, Violine
Sönke Meinen, Gitarre

Bjarke Falgren
was born in 1979 and grew up in Næstved/Denmark. He studied at the Rhythmic Music Conservatory in Copenhagen and held teaching positions at different Danish music conservertoires.

In addition to duo concerts with Sönke Meinen, Bjarke Falgren tours solo, with his own „Bjarke Falgren Quartet“, his band „Hot n Spicy“ and his duo with Bandoneon virtuoso Paolo Russo. He collaborated with renowned musicians like Mike Sheridan, Mike Marshall, Jens Lysdal and many others. ​

Bjarke Falgren also gained a high reputation as a film composer of several documentaries and TV series such as „Præst søger Paradis“ and „Cool Cats“. For his work as a violinist and composer, he was awarded with four Danish Music Awards in 2010 and the Ellen & Svend Asmussen prize as well as the Trelleborg Foundations Culture prize in 2017. Bjarke Falgren lives in Næstved. ​

Sönke Meinen, born in 1991 and raised in Ihlow/Northern Germany, studied under Prof. Thomas Fellow, Prof. Stephan Bormann and Reentko Dirks at the Dresden University of Music, where he held a teaching position himself from 2019 to 2022.

Sönke Meinen played concerts all around the world (Australia, China, Japan and almost every European country) and won numerous competitions - in 2016 he collected awards at two of the largest international guitar competitions: the well-respected "Guitar Masters" (first prize) and the "European Guitar Award“ (sponsoring prize). In addition to performing with Bjarke Falgren, Sönke Meinen also plays as a soloist and with guitarist Philipp Wiechert. Sönke Meinen lives in Hamburg. ​

In addition to their musical work, Sönke Meinen and Bjarke Falgren are sought-after lecturers and workshop leaders as well as initiators and artistic directors of their own music festivals. While Sönke Meinen organises the annual „Freepsum International Guitar Festival“ together with guitarist Philipp Wiechert, Bjarke Falgren hosts the „Falgren and Friends Festival Night“ every year in his hometown Næstved.

Sönke Meinen
born in 1991 and raised in Ihlow/Northern Germany, studied under Prof. Thomas Fellow, Prof. Stephan Bormann and Reentko Dirks at the Dresden University of Music, where he held a teaching position himself from 2019 to 2022.

Sönke Meinen won numerous competitions - in 2016 he collected awards at two of the largest international guitar competitions: the well-respected "Guitar Masters" (first prize) and the "European Guitar Award“ (sponsoring prize). Sönke Meinen is not only performing in solo concerts, but also in duo projects with Danish violin virtuoso Bjarke Falgren as well as with guitarist and theatre musician Philipp Wiechert. Bjarke Falgren’s and Sönke Meinen’s highly acclaimed duo debut album "Postcard to Self" earned two nominations for the Danish Music Awards in 2019.

In addition to his musical work as a guitarist and composer, Sönke Meinen is a renowned lecturer and workshop leader as well as the initiator and artistic director of the Freepsum International Guitar Festival, which has been taking place annually since 2011.

This album contains no booklet.