Bjarke Falgren & Sönke Meinen

by bjarke@falgren.dk Bands
„A simpatico of creative minds and styles that compliment each other and raise each others’ level of excellence to a height rarely seen now. I hope to see the world discover that beauty in music is still here on Planet Earth and you two young men are sailing freely on the currents that flow between us and all that is possible! I salute you both!” 
– Tommy Emmanuel cgp.
With their duo debut album “Postcard to Self“ violinist and fourfold Danish grammy winner Bjarke Falgren and guitarist Sönke Meinen, winner of the Guitar Masters competition, re-shaped the sound of a violin and guitar duo to an original musical approach full of surprising timbres, emotional depth, intimacy and overwhelming playfulness. Their music is expressive and stirring, with an underlying calmness that anchors the listener; and every composition captures the magic of storytelling without words.


Falgren and Meinen composed and arranged the music for „Postcard to Self” in an old schoolhouse in a small and sleepy village in the Danish countryside. Inspired by the beauty of the old house and the Scandinavian landscape their compositions mix folk influences with classical music, fingerstyle guitar, jazz and a pinch of film music. They recorded the album themselves at the same magical place where their music was written, retaining the stories and inspiration of the pieces in a very personal way. 

“Postcard to Self“ gets the listener travel to different times, it is a playful soundtrack to childlike wonder as well as looking back to old memories. It delivers the same intrigue and anticipation as opening a letter or flicking through old photographs. It is a musical invitation to pause and reflect on what we would choose to tell our future self, if we write ourselves a postcard today.

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Denmark-based Bjarke Falgren tours all around the world and writes and produces music for film and theatre.
As well as the duo with Sönke Meinen, Falgren is also currently active as a solo artist and as a member of various band constellations e.g. Hot N Spicy, World On A String, Paolo Russo & Bjarke Falgren duo, The Filip Jers & Bjarke Falgren quintet or the Jens Lysdal trio. Jazz violin legend Svend Asmussen has enthusiastically designated him as his successor stating: “Bjarke Falgren is the hardest swingin´ fiddler I have heard since Stuff Smith.”
 
German guitarist Sönke Meinen also performs solo and together with  jazz guitarist Philipp Wiechert or jazz singer Anna-Lucia Rupp. He has won numerous prizes since his first stage appearances, and 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). The Australian guitar wizard Tommy Emmanuel introduced Sönke Meinen to his audience as „one of the most creative guitarists in the scene today“.
 
Falgren and Meinen coax a wide range of different timbres out of their instruments, from warm and tender to powerful and percussive. Their original compositions are sometimes extremely gentle and sometimes highly energetic, but an uplifting concert experience full of playfulness and emotional intensity is guaranteed!