Poul Høxbro
Poul Høxbro har opnået international anerkendelse for sit arbejde med at genskabe en middelalderlig spillestil for enhåndsfløjte og tromme. Det var en ni måneder lang rejse i Sydamerika, hvor PH spillede folkemusik fra Peru og Bolivia, som blev afgørende for beslutningen om en musikalsk løbebane.
Han har klassisk diplom- og solistklasse-eksamen i blokfløjte fra Det Fynske Musikkonservatorium, men valgte fra 1992 at udforske de middelalderlige traditioner for simultan spil på fløjte og tromme.
Med brug af sin brogede musikalske baggrund og i tæt samarbejde med udvalgte instrumentmagere, har hans pionerindsats ført til optrædener verden over samt indbragt ham en antal danske musikpriser.
Sammen med Agnethe Christensen og Helen Davies var PH med til at starte middelalderensemblet ALBA. Med Miriam Andersén udgør han duoen Esk, der har specialiseret sig i tidlig musik fra nordiske kilder. Han er desuden en opskattet historiefortæller på både dansk, engelsk og tysk, holder dansekurser og foredrag.
Poul Høxbro
Poul Høxbro has gained international acknowledgement for his work in reviving a medieval playing style for pipe and tabor. But it was an extensive travel in 1981-1982 in South America, where he played folk music from Peru and Bolivia, that was crucial for the decision to make a musical career.
In 1986 he started studies at The Carl Nielsen Academy of Music with recorder as his major subject. He received diploma degree in 1992 and graduated from the soloist class in 1994. Throughout most of the years at the academy, PH mainly devoted his time to contemporary music, and several Danish composers have dedicated works to him.
In 1992 he was asked to do a medieval concert at the first Copenhagen Early Music Festival together with the singer, Agnethe Christensen, and the harp player, Helen Davies. This became the starting point for Medieval Ensemble ALBA, and for his thorough investigation of the medieval tradition of simultaneous playing on pipe and drum. Using his many faceted musical background, studying medieval sources and in a close co-operation with the instrument makers, Norbert Eckermann (Austria) and Mark Binns (Australia), he has, since then, succeeded in creating a playing style, a sound and a refined music making which is considered a unique and pioneering work in this field. As a result of this work he is now performing world wide on festivals and in radio with his arrangements of medieval music for pipe and tabor.
PH also works with storytelling as a supplement to his solo- or ensemble performances. His command of English and German has made it possible for him to successfully perform this art – outside the Nordic speech area, of course – for audiences in England, Australia USA and Germany.
PH has received several Danish music grants and prizes. Amongst them the Danish Radio Symphony Orchestras prize of honour, Emil Holms Legat, which he received for his work as ambassador to medieval music.
He has recorded 4 CDís with Medieval Ensemble ALBA and a solo-CD for the Danish record company Classico. In addition to this he has taken part in recordings for ABC Classics, Move Records, BIS, Exlibris, Sony Music, Chandos and Naxos.
Together with the singer, Agnethe Christensen, and the singer and harp player, Miriam Andersén, he now forms Medieval Ensemble ALBA, which has a world wide reputation for serious and original performances of medieval music.
In co-operation with Miriam Andersén PH forms the duo ESK. Adding traditional Nordic instruments as for example lyre, bagpipe, wooden lur and cow horn, they specialize in recreating an early Nordic sound and music in combining both medieval sources and records of traditional music from Nordic countries.
Beside this he works regularly with the Australian recorder virtuoso, Genevieve Lacey. Together they have created the programmePiperye, a medieval fantasy for pipes and percussion. He also works with the Swedish actor and storyteller, Anders Granström, in a performance that mixes music and tales from medieval Europe. Playing with the German fiddle player, Susanne Ansorg, he gives life to the numerous depictions of a medieval standard combination of instruments.
