Flights of the Angakok

Personal experience in the Arctic

For her next major choral work, Lera Auerbach drew on personal experiences. Her visit to the Arctic and meeting the indigenous people touched her deeply. Flights of the Angakok thus became an urgent work, referring strongly to the current climate crisis and its impact on the culture of the original inhabitants of the Arctic. A specially assembled team of cultural and language advisers from the Arctic indigenous community itself was heavily involved in the conception and realisation of the work. The libretto is written in the original Inuit languages Inuktitut and Kalaallisut.

The Angakok

It is not only the nature of the "Arctic" that is in danger, but also the rich culture of this unique area. For Flights of the Angakok, Auerbach drew inspiration from the mythical Inuit shaman - the angakok. In the work, the pianist plays the role of the shaman, while the choir sings the spirits of nature (light/sun, wind, water) in a ritual-like song. Top young Dutch talent Yang Yang Cai takes the piano part. The Netherlands Chamber Choir is enriched by the presence of Inuit soprano Deantha Edmunds.

Flights of the Angakok is a sequel to Lera's fourth symphony, titled Arctica, whose world premiere took place in 2019 at the Kennedy Center in Washington. With this new voluminous piece, the composer also makes her Dutch debut as a conductor.

Press reviews of this programme

★★★★ - '"Flights of the Angakok", the new piece by Lera Auerbach,is sound exploration and a successful theatrical component in one. [...] The Nederlands Kamerkoor sings fluently..." - De Volkskrant