Composer Jacob Groth
By Laura Ferreiro
There’s no denying that Griffith Park is one of Los Angeles’ true gems. Boasting miles of gorgeous hiking and horseback riding trails, it’s also home to a bird sanctuary, museums, the Los Angeles Zoo, incredible wildlife and of course the famed Griffith Park observatory. The one-of-a-kind park provides a much-needed sanctuary in the midst of a sprawling urban jungle.
Renowned film composer Jacob Groth recognized how special the park was the first time he visited Los Angeles. The composer, who has scored movies including The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo trilogy, Dead Man Down and Skin Trade, now calls Los Angeles home several months a year, and wanted to do something to give back to the park and preserve it for future generations. It was then that the idea of the Nordic Noir benefit concert was born.
The Nordic Noir concert will take place September 25 at the Greek Theatre in the heart of Griffith Park. It will feature a performance by Groth and his Danish Film Harmonics orchestra, who will play selected tracks from The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo trilogy and other tunes that feature the distinctive haunting moods that embody the Nordic Noir genre. The concert will also feature special guest appearances and introduce the best of Nordic culture to the LA community.
The concert will benefit Friends of Griffith Park, a non-profit organization that works through advocacy, support, education and service to preserve Griffith Park as Los Angeles’ signature green and open space, a place of free recreation, and to ensure the survival of Southern California’s native ecosystems.
“The idea of combining this artistic vision with my passion for supporting urban wildlife and Griffith Park has been in my mind for a while now,” says Groth. “Once I met with the Friends of Griffith Park team I knew we could make it happen and I’m extremely happy that it has finally become a reality!”
“I hope that the concert will become an event that while it is both highly entertaining and thrilling, also can help create a buzz about the uniqueness of having wildlife like this in the middle of one of the biggest towns in the world,” Groth adds. “For me the park symbolizes how strong the force of nature is and how important it is to give urban wildlife space.”
Gerry Hans, president of Friends of Griffith Park, says how excited he is to team up with Groth on the event. “We are thrilled to join forces with world-class talent Jacob Groth for this incredible benefit concert,” Hans says. “We hope this incredible night of music and culture will inspire and incite others to join our cause and become more active caretakers of our beloved park and its endangered biodiversity.”
To learn more about Nordic Noir, click here. For tickets, click here.