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Quite by accident, in 2003, Swedish born conductor Magnus Martensson turned into a comedian/pianist during a concert at Victor Borge Hall in New York City, in front of an enthusiastic and encouraging audience that included members of Mr. Borge’s family. Since then, Mr. Martensson has appeared in Los Angeles, New York, Las Vegas, Chicago, Minneapolis, Buffalo, Fargo, and Arthur, and critics have called his act both “hilarious” and “clever.”
Mr. Martensson wrote comedy as a young laddie, combining it with music and performing at school concerts. He presented a series of private Comedy&Music concerts in Cleveland during the 1990s, but has since been busy working as a conductor, narrowing down his comedy time to Scherzo movements in symphonies. After receiving encouraging words from the daughter of late comedian/pianist Victor Borge, Mr.Martensson decided to be funny again and has since been performing his comedy routine, combining it with conducting and multi instrumental musical performances.
Mr.Martensson is currently Music Director of the Scandinavian Chamber Orchestra of New York, and has guest conducted in Europe and South America. He has premiered over 70 works, and has recorded for the Mode, Centaur, and Mindfeel labels. An active composer, Mr. Martensson’s commissions have included orchestral and chamber music, songs, and solo works. His one act opera Before the Law , based on Kafka’s work, premiered in Buffalo in 1997, while in 2004 he conducted his Kvasir for Strings at New York’s Carnegie Hall.
VIDEOS
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rBHvjgBehVw&feature=related
In the past few seasons, Magnus performed here:
Albuquerque, Ann Arbor, Arthur, Bemidji, Buffalo, Chicago, Clearbrook, Cleveland, Fargo, Grand Rapids, Jamestown, Las Vegas, Long Beach, Los Angeles, Minneapolis, New York, Portland, Stockholm, Toledo, Toronto, Vancouver, Växjö, Washington, Winnipeg
PRESS
Winnipeg Free Press – May, 2009
Nordstjernan – March, 2009
http://www.nordstjernan.com/news/east/1190/
“Very funny…Martensson made everyone bend over with laughter…” – Nordstjernan
Maestro Martensson featured in Nordic Reach magazine (PDF, 136kb)
BY MATT MANOCHIO
DAILY RECORD
Monday, September 3, 2007MOUNT OLIVE — Simultaneously witnessing a chess game, a round of boxing, piano playing, and a neck massage is probably the last thing one might expect at a Scandinavian festival, but Magnus Martensson wouldn’t have it any other way.
The Swedish native styles his humor after the late Victor Borge and is an accomplished piano player. He invited three people from the audience to assist him. He played the piano with his right hand, and with a boxing glove he playfully sparred with a boy who wore the other glove. His right hand also played the piano and moved chess pieces at the same time. And when his right hand wasn’t doing that, it was massaging the neck of Aili Petersen, 27, of Princeton.
“He was good, very humorous,” Petersen said following the act.
SHOP
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