Kristian Blak (musician, composer, artistic director), introducing the Faroe Islands and its a creative scene

A conversation with Faroese composer and musician Kristian Blak, exploring nature, sound, and the bonds between distant lands. In this Usmaradio feature, Roberto Paci Dalò speaks with one of the key figures of the Nordic music scene: Kristian Blak, composer and multi-instrumentalist from the Faroe Islands.

The conversation, recorded in Riolunato (Modena, Italy), moves through soundscapes, cultural narratives, and the surprising twinning between the Italian village and the Faroese archipelago—active since 2004. This is the first step on the road that will bring Usmaradio to the Faroe Islands in June 2025, as a participant representing the University of the Republic of San Marino at the conference “The Role of Universities in Small Scale Societies”, organized by the NUSCT (Network of Universities of Small Countries and Territories) and hosted by the University of the Faroe Islands.

Special thanks to the Municipality of Riolunato, and in particular to Claudia, for the warm welcome and support in making this meeting possible.

BIO
Kristian’s diverse musical background is reflected in the wide array of music he composes, uniting ethnic music with new compositional techniques.​​
Kristian has composed solo instrumental works, chamber music, jazz suites, choral works as well as symphonic music.​ Having made numerous recordings as a performer, Kristian has also toured the globe widely with his own jazz and folk music ensembles.​In addition to this, Kristian works as manager and CEO of the Tutl Records label and is artistic director of the popular Summartónar festival.​
Kristian Blak is widely regarded as one of the most prominent and important figures of Faroese music history, playing a central role in the musical life and culture of the islands.​Born in the Danish peninsula of Jutland, Kristian relocated to the Faroe Islands in ’74, where he’s lived ever since, and where he’s written the majority of his works.