cikada duo
percussion, piano
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After a concert playing Karlheinz Stockhausens Kontakte in 1988, pianist Kenneth Karlsson and percussionist Bjørn Rabben formed the Cikada Duo in what was the first step towards forming the Cikada Ensemble a year later.
The Cikada Duo has focused on building up a manifold repertoire for the duo, and specialized in involving live electronics, video and other art forms such as dance.
The Cikada Duo has enjoyed close collaboration over the years with composers such as Åke Parmerud, whose piece Zeit aus Zeit (The Kontakte Variations) was commissioned and premiered by the Cikada Duo as a counterpoint to the Duo’s very first concert performance in 1988. Furthermore, the duo has worked closely with composers such as James Dillon, Rolf Wallin, Sven David Sandström and Asbjørn Schaathun, as well as performing iconic pieces for solo piano and solo percussion from the 20th and 21st century repertoire.
They are members of the Cikada ensemble and also they founded the improvising quartet Point4 with percussionist Ingar Zach and pianist Jon Balke