Projects / Culture     

Geilo Ice Music Festival, 2011

Every year, at the first full moon, people make music at Geilo. Ice music.

Architect: Helder Neves, architect, with Bill Covitz (ice sculptor), Morten Dybsjord (machinery), Geilofjellandsby/Kikutdrift AS and Mia Riemann Thomsen (business coordinator).
Published 29 Apr, 2011
 
Geilo Ice Music Festival takes place every year at the first full moon.

Geilo Ice Music Festival takes place every year at the first full moon.

Heavy machinery is needed to fetch ice from nearby lakes or glaciers.

Fetching ice is hard work, but the quality of the ice is crucial for the sound of the instruments.

After a week of construction work with a team of volunteers, the stage begins to take shape.

Helder Neves, the architect who designed the stage and the ampitheatre in collaboration with ice sculptor Bill Covitz, marks the openings for the LED ice lights.

The digger makes the stage entrance.

Mechanical and hand tools are used in the ice construction. Ice sculptor Bill Covitz handles the chainsaw.

The stage intrance is marked by a three metre high crescent moon made of snow.

Ice blocks are set into the rear wall of the stage and covered with a UV-protective sheet. the detail will give special stage lighting effects.

Ice blocks are set into the rear wall of the stage and covered with a UV-protective sheet. the detail will give special stage lighting effects.

Ice blocks are set into the rear wall of the stage and covered with a UV-protective sheet. the detail will give special stage lighting effects.

The rear wall is scraped to give a better shadow texture.

Blocks of ice are mounted along the top of the stage wall.

 

Bram Stadhouders plays ice guitar and Mari Kvien Brunvoll sings.

Completion: 2011. Repeated every year at the first full moon

Address:
Geilo, Hallingdal

View it on the map

Photo:
Emile Holba

The Ice Music Festival at Geilo was arranged for the sixth year in 2011. All instruments and stage elements are made from snow and natural ice cut from lakes or glaciers. The quality of the ice makes the sound of the instruments change with temperature: nature is a central player in the event.

Good quality ice is essential. The ice is tested as it is cut, and rejected if there are too many air bubbles. The instruments made from ice include guitar, the traditional langeleik, drums, horns and trumpets. The festival was initiated by Norwegian musician Terje Isungset, but it is an international event featuring musicians from all over the world. Bill Covitz is the ice sculptor, and this year he collaborated with architect Helder Neves on the stage and festival area plan.