Anders Eliasson is one of Scandinavia's most sought-after composers, and renowned musicians the world over have expressed great admiration for his works. Yet Eliasson's music remains relatively unknown in the United States. The Arcos Chamber Orchestra of New York and their artistic director John-Edward Kelly have taken it upon themselves to change this. On January 25, the orchestra will celebrate Anders Eliasson's 60th birthyear with a major portrait of his music for string orchestra at Davis Hall at International House in New York. The esteemed German music critic Christoph Schlueren remarked that Anders Eliasson's music "really has no comparison among living composers; one must look to Bach, Schubert or Brahms to find such complete homogeneity of emotion, musical expression and perfection of handwork". A composer's composer who lives entirely for his art, Anders Eliasson himself has stated that he has "no choice about being a composer: if I do not write down the music I hear within me, I cannot breathe, I cannot live". This essential urgency can be heard in every tone of his profoundly existential music. The program on January 25 will include Desert Point (1981), Ostácoli (1987), as well as the Symphony for Strings (2001), which was given its US premiere by the Arcos Chamber Orchestra in May 2007. Anders Eliasson will participate in the preparation of the program, will be present to introduce his works at the concert and will be interviewed on stage by John-Edward Kelly, who has known and worked together with Eliasson for over 25 years. This is a unique opportunity to meet and experience the extraordinary music of one of the great composers of our time.Anders Eliasson PortraitArcos Chamber OrchestraDavis Hall at International House500 Riverside Drive, New York CityJanuary 25, 20088 pmFor more information: www.arcos-orchestra.comImage: Anders Eliasson