Northern Arc Sessions – Aberdeen Performing Arts’ ongoing series of collaborative performances between Scottish artists and their counterparts in Scandinavia, Canada and the Baltics – continues with the second of its ‘Scotland meets Norway’ events, this time pairing bluesy folk threesome the Erlend Viken Trio with acclaimed Scottish vocalist Karen Matheson.

Following the success of the inaugural session, featuring Sigrid Moldestad and Karine Polwart, Northern Arc presents the first-ever joint performance of two extremely talented live acts. Renowned as the mesmeric voice behind Celtic supergroup Capercaillie, Matheson has long admired the work of the multi-talented trio, featuring master fiddler Erlend Viken, guitarist Juhani Silvola and cellist Jonas Bleckman.

Viken and Silvola studied together at the Norwegian Academy of Music , playing together as a duo and in bluegrass group Earlybird Stringband. In 2012,  they were joined by Jonas Bleckma’s soulful cello. Together, the three musicians have created some of the most original sounds in contemporary Nordic folk. The combination of their skill, the emotive vocals of Matheson and contributions from a number of guest performers promises to be a captivating evening, showcasing both Nordic musical tradition and compelling contemporary talent.