With Country Niels Rønsholdt reimagines the country genre as a concerto for singing solo cellist and chamber orchestra. Built around soloist Jakob Kullberg, Country shows off his fine singing voice and extraordinary ability to play the cello ‘alla chitarra’ – like a guitar.

Musically and conceptually the work is based on paraphrases of the rich American country tradition, paired with a sort of Nordic pastoral declaration of love on the one hand, and a critique of nationalism on the other.

The first part of Country was premiered in Poland in 2019, and the complete work, consisting of 18 songs, premiered 4 September 2020 in Aarhus, Denmark.