Christopher George is an upcoming star among British conductors. With a background as a violinist and the leader of the Scottish Chamber Orchestra, he has in recent years conducted and toured with ensembles such as the Mahler Chamber Orchestra, BBC Philharmonic Orchestra, Royal Scottish National Orchestra, Iceland Symphony Orchestra, and Royal Northern Sinfonia. The reviews are glowing for his ability to create lively and engaged interpretations. In this period, he is a guest conductor for the Broadcasting Orchestra! Drammens Teater Sunday, March 10th at 7:00 PM.
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The Radio Orchestra is an orchestra at a high international level. At the same time, it is a flexible orchestra that plays everything from symphonic repertoire to contemporary music. Probably, this is the reason why the Broadcasting Orchestra is considered the people's orchestra. A popular orchestra that combines quality with the ability to communicate with a broad audience.
Today, the orchestra is filled with the best classical instrumentalists, musicians who prioritize versatility and playfulness, and who have a strong aversion to categorizing music. The Broadcasting Orchestra was established in 1946 when NRK (Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation) wanted to establish its own radio orchestra. Øivind Bergh was the orchestra's first conductor, and he led the orchestra in a series of beloved programs from NRK's Great Studio, thereby laying the foundation for the popularity that over the years has made the Broadcasting Orchestra a public treasure. |
The French cellist Marc Coppey is considered among the world's leading cellists. Since winning first prize in the Leipzig Bach Competition at the age of 18, he has collaborated first with legends like Yehudi Menuhin and Mstislav Rostropovich. This was followed by international debut concerts in Paris and Moscow, with invitations to perform with the biggest orchestras and at festivals worldwide. Marc Coppey has collaborated with leading composers in Europe and has a special fondness for presenting contemporary music and lesser-known works. In addition, he conducts, leads chamber orchestras, and is involved in festivals as an artistic director. His latest recording of Shostakovich's cello concertos with the Polish Radio Symphony Orchestra, solo works by Kodály, and a collection of French cello music have received glowing reviews in major music magazines. His interpretations of chamber music are described as rarely intense and engaging. He has collaborated with legends such as Maria-Joao Pires, Viktoria Mullova, and Vadim Gluzman.
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The Royal Norwegian Navy Band is based at Karljohansvern in Horten and was established in 1820. Along with the Armed Forces Staff Band, the Navy Band is the corps with the most assignments on behalf of the royal family, the government, and the parliament. The band also collaborates closely with other military units throughout the Eastern region of Norway.
The band is a popular and distinctive ensemble, consisting of 27 professional musicians who undertake assignments both domestically and internationally – including in the USA, Vietnam, Russia, France, China, and Spain. Several times, the band has traveled to Afghanistan to perform for Norwegian and foreign forces. The band has held concerts with musical luminaries in virtually all musical genres. |
Joachim Knoph is often engaged as a pianist in Norway and abroad, with repeated tours to countries such as China and Russia. He has released several critically acclaimed albums, most recently the record "Å her møter mangt: Songs by Johan Kvandal" together with Isa Katharina Gericke, which was recently nominated in three categories at the German "Opus Klassik" awards. He has previously released Kvandal's complete piano music on CD, receiving positive reviews. The release has been streamed over a million times on Spotify. He is the recipient of awards and grants such as the YAMAHA Award and the State Artist Grant.
Joachim also has a rapidly growing activity as a composer, particularly in choral music, and his latest work "Hope - A New Ceremony of Carols" has attracted international attention. Joachim Knoph is educated at the Norwegian Academy of Music, the Malmö Academy of Music, the Ecole Normale de Musique "Alfred Cortot" in Paris, and has had a study stay at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London. |
Stein Johan "Steinjo" Grieg Halvorsen is a composer, actor, comedian, and director, well-known to many from the comedy program "Slå på ring." He has composed music for numerous films and stage productions and has been awarded the Gullruten award in addition to nominations for the Amanda Award, the Kanonprisen, and the Golden Rose in Montreux. Steinjo has long collaborated with Erlend Klarholm Nilsen and Eyvind A. Skeie. Among his recent projects is the music for the feature film "Snekker Andersen og Julenissen."
Steinjo is the grandson of Johan Halvorsen, and his grandmother was the niece of Edvard Grieg. At Galleri Athene on Monday, March 11th at 7:00 PM, Steinjo will present the concert "From Elves and Fairies to Sonja's Song" together with Joachim Knoph and Isa Katarina Gericke. |
Isa Katharina Gericke is a versatile soprano in the realms of concert, chamber music, and opera. Her repertoire spans from baroque to contemporary, with a particular fondness for Lieder and art songs. She has garnered attention for her self-created concert productions about historical female singers. In the cabaret "Frauen sind keine Engel" featuring music from 1930s and 40s Berlin, she showcases completely different facets. Isa is a sought-after soloist, presenter, and educator in various concepts centered around classical music. Since its inception in 2002, she has been the artistic director of the Gloger Music Festival in Kongsberg, and from the fall of 2022, she is a doctoral research fellow in artistic development at the Oslo National Academy of the Arts, Opera School department.
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Berit Cardas is a highly sought-after conductor, violinist, and violist. Alongside an extensive list of achievements as a soloist and chamber musician, she is also a versatile educator, lecturer, and conductor.
Cardas studied at the Østlandets Musikkonservatorium, Hochschule für Musik und Theater in Hannover, Germany, and the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis, USA. She has also pursued conducting studies at the Norwegian Academy of Music. Since her teenage years, she has been involved in teaching alongside her studies and theater performances. In recent years, she has also delved into orchestral conducting and has already had the opportunity to conduct the Norwegian Radio Orchestra, Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra, and Oslo Philharmonic Orchestra. This season, she is scheduled to work with the Royal Norwegian Air Force Band, Arctic Philharmonic, and Oslo Philharmonic, among others. She was one of the founding members of the Vertavo Quartet in 1984 and has performed over 2500 concerts with this quartet. Cardas has previously won the Spellemann Prize and the Diapason d'Or, as well as first prizes in the Nordic Chamber Music Competition and the Melbourne International Chamber Music Competition. While chamber music holds a special place in her heart, she has also been a soloist with all the major Norwegian symphony orchestras and has had rewarding experiences as concertmaster with the Trondheim Symphony Orchestra and the Norwegian Radio Orchestra. An arm injury in the 1980s became a significant turning point for Berit Cardas, leading her to pursue studies in theater. Despite fruitful years at music conservatories in Hannover, Germany, and Minneapolis, USA, nothing has provided her with more valuable knowledge and training than theater. Theater, along with chamber music, has shaped her into the musician she is today. |
Rita Eriksen is known as a solo artist and as one half of the roots/country/blues/folk duo Eriksen, which she forms together with her brother Frank Eriksen.
As a solo artist, she made her album debut with "Back from Wonderland" in 1988. She later released the album "Tideland" together with the Irish singer Dolores Keane. Rita Eriksen was also a member of the vocal group Queen Bees along with Anita Skorgan and Hilde Heltberg. Additionally, she has collaborated with numerous Norwegian artists and participated as a guest vocalist on several recordings, including Jonas Fjeld, Tre Små Kinesere, and Hellbillies. One of her most famous contributions is her performance on the song "Tir n'a Noir" with Vamp. She has appeared on several released versions of the song and has performed it at numerous Vamp concerts. She is also responsible for the female vocals on Bjørn Eidsvåg's song "Tålt" and the hit "Skyfri himmel" (Clear Sky). |
Sebastian Egebakken Svenøy started playing the piano when he was 9 years old after his family decided to get a piano for the living room. He immediately became interested and began learning simple pieces with the help of YouTube. His parents noticed his keen interest and eventually arranged for him to have a piano teacher.
He has already won several competitions: - Nordic Junior Piano Competition 2019, Class 1, 3rd Prize - Youth Music Championship 2021/2022, Piano Class 3, 1st Prize - Youth Music Championship 2022/2023, Chamber Music Class 2, 1st Prize - Midgard Competition 2023, Piano Class 3, 1st Prize - Virtuos Semifinal 26.02.2024, 1st Prize On March 15th, he will be performing at the Lunch Concert at Bragernes Church. |
Jan Gunnar Sørbø is a graduate of the University of Stavanger, the Norwegian Academy of Music, the Hannover University of Music, Drama and Media, and the Barratt-Due Institute of Music. He completed his soloist training and made his official debut at the Syddansk Musikkonservatorium in Odense. He has performed internationally as a soloist in Grieg's Piano Concerto in A minor and Beethoven's Triple Concerto, and has given concerts in Slovakia, Denmark, Sweden, Georgia, France, and Germany. As one of the very few pianists, he has performed the complete Bach's "Das Wohltemperierte Klavier" (The Well-Tempered Clavier). In Norway, he has distinguished himself not only with solo concerts but also as an outstanding chamber musician and accompanist in various contexts, including as a pianist in the Stavanger Piano Quartet.
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Eir Inderhaug received her education from the Rogaland Music Conservatory, the Opera Academy in Copenhagen, and soloist training at the Royal Danish Academy of Music in Copenhagen. In 1991, Inderhaug won NRK's Talentiaden competition. She has performed opera, operetta, and musical roles in Germany, Sweden, Norway, Belgium, and beyond. In Norway, she has been engaged with the Norwegian National Opera and Ballet, Les Misérables at Trøndelag Teater, Spelet om Heilag Olav at Stiklestad for twelve seasons, and the Peer Gynt Festival at Gålåvatnet in 2007/2008. Her solo show "Jeg ER Lucia" received glowing reviews and a six-star rating after performances in Kristiansand, Trondheim, and Oslo in 2017. Fædrelandsvennen described it as "an opera feast that should appeal far beyond a regular audience," while Aftenbladet asserted that "Eir impresses greatly."
The Champagne Concert will take place on Friday, March 15th at 7:30 PM. |
Susanne Lundeng, rooted in North Norwegian folk music, has evolved into a distinctive fiddler, composer, and musical free thinker, earning accolades such as a Spellemann Award in folk music for her release of Nordland tunes. She is one of Norway's most distinguished folk musicians. Now, she also sings her own lyrics, opening yet another new dimension to her artistry.
Nils-Olav Johansen is a jazz guitarist and vocalist who draws inspiration from traditional music from around the world in his musical expression, known for his virtuosic improvisations with an unmistakable signature. They will perform at Strømsø Church on Wednesday, March 13th at 7:00 PM. |
Catherine Bullock is the principal violist of both the Oslo Philharmonic Orchestra and the Norwegian Chamber Orchestra. She has previously held solo positions with the London Philharmonic Orchestra, the Scottish Chamber Orchestra, and Camerata Nordica. Additionally, she has been a featured soloist with numerous orchestras including the Kristiansand Symphony Orchestra, the Norwegian Chamber Orchestra, and the Oslo Philharmonic Orchestra, collaborating with conductors such as André Previn, Marin Alsop, and Herbert Blomstedt. In 2013, she was a soloist at the Proms. She has recorded several CDs for Simax. Catherine performs on a Guadagnini viola from Dextra Music.
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Thormod Rønning Kvam is quickly establishing himself as a pianist in the young, Scandinavian elite. Performances at London's Wigmore Hall, the Main Stage of the Norwegian Opera, Grünewald Hall at Stockholm Concert Hall, Harpa in Reykjavik, Grieghallen, and at the Hardanger Music Festival are some of the highlights from recent years. He has already been appointed as an Associate of the Royal Academy of Music – an honor bestowed upon alumni who 'make a difference through their professional work'. His debut album featuring music by Janáček will be released on LAWO Classics next year. Thormod also has a strong commitment to renewing the classical music tradition, which he pursues as the artistic director of the Aula Series, a chamber music initiative featuring concerts throughout the year at the University Aula in Oslo, at the cultural destination Ramme in Hvitsten, and at the University Aula in Bergen.
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Victoria Ulriksen (born in 2006) is studying organ in the bachelor's program at the Norwegian Academy of Music under the guidance of cathedral cantor and professor Kåre Nordstoga, and hammerklavier and modern piano with professor emerita Liv Glaser. She first gained attention in 2019 with several performances on "Norske Talenter" (Norway's Got Talent) on TV2. She has received awards in competitions both nationally and internationally, including first prize in the final of the Youth Music Championship and the Audience Prize in the international Maria Hofer Organ Competition.
She regularly performs solo concerts in Norway, including at Nidaros Cathedral and Oslo Cathedral, as well as internationally, where she has played concerts on Scandinavia's only Cavaillé-Coll organ in Copenhagen and a historic Serassi organ in Italy. In 2024, she will tour cathedrals in England, perform a concert at the Fraümunster in Zurich, and participate in several concerts at various festivals, such as the Oslo International Church Music Festival. For several years, she has played at the opening of the Salzburg Festival, as well as at various venues in Germany, Switzerland, and Liechtenstein. Victoria will open the Finale concert "Light and Darkness" on Sunday, March 17th, at Bragernes Church. |
Jørn Fevang was raised in Sandefjord and studied church music at the Norwegian Academy of Music from 1979 to 1985, with a focus on liturgics and hymnology. He later pursued private studies in organ playing and choir conducting with Kåre Nordstoga and Terje Kvam, respectively.
He served as the cantor at Lilleborg Church from 1987 to From 1992 to the present day, he has been the cantor and musical director at Bragernes Church in Drammen. He has been instrumental in building up a church music program that is among the most comprehensive in Norway. Today, the church has four cantors and two singing teachers. He is the leader of the Bragernes Cantori, Bragernes Church Boys' Choir, and Bragernes Church Soloist Ensemble. He has led the Bragernes Church Soloist Ensemble since 1999. With the Soloist Ensemble, he has performed Bach's Mass in B minor and St. John Passion as liturgical music for the first time in Norway. He has written numerous articles on church music and conducted research in the field. He has also served on numerous national councils and committees for church music, including being the only cantor in the 2010 Hymnal Committee. |
The Quintessence Wind Quintet was formed in 2012 as a result of five professional wind musicians coming together during an orchestral project in Oslo and wishing to continue playing together as a separate ensemble. The members of the ensemble have both performance and music education degrees from institutions such as the Norwegian Academy of Music, Barratt Due Institute of Music, the Royal Northern College of Music in England, and the Royal College of Music in Stockholm. The Quintessence Wind Quintet consists of Ida Ilstad Zalk (Flute), Ingun Hoel Bjorå (Oboe), Astrid Giæver Marvik (Clarinet), Cecilie Therese Nereng (Horn), and Anne Bergh Schjønsby (Bassoon). They will be performing a children's show at the Union Scene on March 16th.
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Helge Iberg is a composer and pianist who navigates between the scores of contemporary music and the landscapes of modern jazz. He has written chamber works, orchestral music, solo concertos, vocal works, operas, and musicals. He has also published two books and written numerous essays/articles on culture, society, and art. Iberg has been nominated for the Spellemann Award multiple times and received it in 2019 for the symphonic work "Songs from the Planet of Life". On March 16th, at the Studioscenen in Drammens Teater, he will improvise over Beatles songs.
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E-mail: birgitte@johanhalvorsen.no
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Adresse: Kaspara Larsens vei 11,
3027 Drammen |
Tlf: 92466375/ 92648860
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