Formed in early 2004, Baltic Crossing consists of five award-winning musicians from Finland, Denmark and the UK bringing you fiery Scandinavian tunes, bubbling Northumbrian pipes and a driving guitar and double bass rhythm section. Wherever they meet, at least one of their musicians must cross the Baltic Sea and together they bring a new youthful energy to the European folk scene.
Travelling from Finland are two musicians who performed at the 2009 Shetland Folk Festival with Frigg - Antti Järvelä on double bass & mandolin and his cousin Esko Järvelä on fiddle & viola, who both come from the famous folk music village of Kaustinen. From Denmark is multi award winning Kristian Bugge on fiddle, a musician who picked up two Danish Music Awards in 2005 for Debut Folk Album of the year and Folk Instrumentalist of the Year.
Representing the UK is Iain Stephenson on guitar and button accordion (who will also be performing with KAN) as well as Andy May on piano and Northumbrian and Uillean pipes. Iain graduated from the degree course in Folk and Traditional Music at Newcastle University, where he now teaches and besides Baltic Crossing is also known from playing in 422 and with the Kathryn Tickell Band. Andy is also a widely respected player, who won his first piping competition at the age of 10.
As Baltic Crossing, they released their debut CD with GO’ Danish Folk Music in March 2008 which when reviewed by Dirty Linen was summarised as being full of flair and imagination and “enjoyable on so many different levels that any fan of English or Nordic Music will find much to like”. In 2010, their latest album Firetour was released - also to great acclaim.
Find out more at www.balticcrossing.com.
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