Hvoslef with volume.
When he made his debut as a composer in 1964 Ketil Hvoslef followed in the footsteps of his
father Harald Sæverud, and he now has an extensive oeuvre. Einar Røttingen (piano) and Ricardo Odriozola (violin) are thoroughly familiar with this. The artists behind this tribute concert for the composer, who celebrates his 80th birthday in July 2019, are joined on the stage by established musicians and students from the Grieg Academy, and Ketil Hvoslef himself is involved in shaping the artistic result.
When Hvoslef was Festival Composer in 1990, Røttingen and Odriozola both performed in one of his concerts in Håkonshallen. ‘Since then we have collaborated a lot and commissioned several works from him. This has been an essential part of our artistic activity, and has influenced us both as performers and as individuals,’ says Einar Røttingen.
‘Chamber music is undoubtedly the format in which Hvoslef’s personal style is best expressed. The ensembles vary from classical groupings such as quartets to less common combinations such as guitar, recorder, song and piano. The timbral picture is highly diverse, and even in the traditional ensembles he uses the instruments in surprising ways,’ explains the pianist.
Hvoslef was appointed as Knight of the Royal Order of St. Olav in December 2018 for his efforts for Norwegian contemporary music.
Mari Grue soprano | Anne Daugstad Wik alto |Einar Røttingen piano | Ricardo Odriozola violin | Mara Smiukse violin | Ilze Klava viola | Ragnhild Sannes cello |The Grieg Academcan y jazz class | Students from the Grieg Academy with friends
KETIL HVOSLEF (1939–) String Quartet no. 1 | Trio for Soprano, Alto and Piano | Octopus Rex for 8 Celli | String Quartet no. 4, rev. 2017 – World premiere | Concerto for Violin and Pop Band
Bergen International Festival in collaboration with the Grieg Academy – Department of Music, University of Bergen