Islands in the North Atlantic, like Tory Island - the Irish island of legend and myth, the Hebridean Island of Staffa or the wild archipelago of the Faroe Islands situated between the Shetlands and Iceland - these are the places where harpist and photographer Thomas Loefke spends a considerable amount of time every year to compose music. Dramatic coastal landscapes, the wide open space of the Atlantic ocean and the ever changing sky reflect in the pieces of music written there.

The tunes are accompanied by photographs Thomas took during his travels to the islands and in his solo programme these pictures are part of the show.

photo-galleries:   Northern Isles I     Northern Isles II     Northern Isles III    Southern Isles
Soundfile    Youtube:  Tory Wishing Stone   The Island in Winter

Since 1984 Thomas has toured across Europe, Canada, New Zealand and the USA. He has received numerous international prizes, including first prize at the O'Carolan Harp Festival in 1987. Since that year he has been working together with Scottish guitarist/composer Ian Melrose. Both represented Germany at the European Broadcasting Union Festival in Norway in 1989. Thomas' first album was released in 1992: "New Music for Celtic Harp".

The musicians appearing on Thomas' 2nd CD, the Celtic Heartbeat/Universal album "Norland Wind", are the artists Thomas has been working together with for years: Ian Melrose, Kerstin Blodig, Riverdance fiddle player Máire Breatnach and Clannad's Noel and Pádraig Duggan.

Today much of Thomas' time is spent writing, collaborating and recording. He regularily tours with his band Norland Wind, with Máire Breatnach, with the American cello/guitar duo Acoustic Eidolon, with Faroese fiddle player Angelika Nielsen as duo Norðan, pianist Lutz Gerlach, and as a soloist.

"People are listening to quiet haunting music again," says Thomas. "It's amazing how the sound of the harp takes the speed out of everyday life and brings you back to a sort of tingling slowness.“

Downloads:  Picture2   Picture4   Picture3   Poster

Current CDs:
Norðan (Tutl / Laika records) 
Máire Breatnach & Thomas Loefke - Rock Pools  (Laika records)

        
facebook: www.facebook.com/thomasloefke   
booking:  thomas@norlandwind.eu  tel: +49 171 271 0944