The following is a list of notable events and releases of the year 1959 in

Norwegian music Much has been learned about early music in Norway from physical artifacts found during archaeological digs. These include instruments such as the lur. Viking and medieval sagas also describe musical activity, as do the accounts of priests and pil ...

Events

February

* 16 – The

Norwegian National Opera and Ballet The Norwegian National Opera and Ballet ( no, Den Norske Opera & Ballett, links=no) is a Norwegian opera company and ballet company. The first fully professional company each for opera and ballet in Norway and the only such professional organisati ...

holds its first performance in

Folketeatret Folketeateret is a theatre in Oslo, Norway. The building has been used as a movie theatre and as an opera house. The theatre has 1,400 seats. History The theatre itself operated from 1952 to 1959, but the institution has a much longer history. ...

in Oslo.

May

* 29 – The 7th

Bergen International Festival Bergen International Festival ( no, Festspillene i Bergen) is an annual international music and cultural festival in Bergen, Norway. Biography The Bergen International festival is the largest festival in the Nordic countries in its genre and ha ...

started in

Bergen, Norway Bergen (), historically Bjørgvin, is a city and municipalities of Norway, municipality in Vestland county on the Western Norway, west coast of Norway. , its population is roughly 285,900. Bergen is the list of towns and cities in Norway, secon ...

(29 May – 14 June).

Deaths

; June * 3 –

Ole Windingstad Ole Windingstad (May 18, 1886 – June 3, 1959) was a Norwegian conductor, pianist and composer. He was the conductor of the Scandinavian Symphony Orchestra in Brooklyn, New York and the Hudson Valley Philharmonic. His most notable symphonic compos ...

, orchestra conductor, pianist and composer (born

1886 Events January–March * January 1 – Upper Burma is formally annexed to British Burma, following its conquest in the Third Anglo-Burmese War of November 1885. * January 5– 9 – Robert Louis Stevenson's novella ''Strange ...

). * 21 –

Fridtjof Backer-Grøndahl Fridtjof Backer-Grøndahl (15 October 188521 June 1959) was a Norwegian pianist, composer and music teacher. Biography Backer-Grøndahl was born in Christiania (later Oslo) in 1885, the son of the conductor and singing teacher Olaus Andreas Grøn ...

, pianist, composer and music teacher (born

1885 Events January–March * January 3– 4 – Sino-French War – Battle of Núi Bop: French troops under General Oscar de Négrier defeat a numerically superior Qing Chinese force, in northern Vietnam. * January 4 – ...

Births

; January * 7 –

Jon Larsen Jon Larsen (born 7 January 1959) is a gypsy jazz guitarist, record producer, painter, and amateur scientific researcher. He is the founder of the group Hot Club de Norvège. In 2007 he received the Buddy Award for his lifelong contribution to ...

, guitarist, composer, surrealistic painter, author, scientific researcher, and record producer. * 24 –

Nils Mathisen Nils Mathisen (born 24 January 1959) is a Norwegian jazz musician (keyboards, violin, guitar and bass) and composer, known from significant efforts within cabaret and musicals. Mathisen has released two solo albums, and contributed to releases by ...

, jazz keyboardist, multi-instrumentalist, and composer ; February * 27 – Geir Botnen, classical pianist. ; March * 3 –

Frode Alnæs Frode Alnæs (born 3 March 1959) is a Norwegian jazz guitarist and composer, known from cooperation with international artists like Morten Harket, Magne Furuholmen, Arild Andersen, Jon Balke, Ole Edvard Antonsen, Ketil Bjørnstad, Henning Sommer ...

, jazz guitarist and composer, Dance with a Stranger and

Masqualero Masqualero (1983–1991) was a Norwegian jazz group. Originally named "The Arild Andersen/Jon Christensen Quintet", the group soon changed its name to ''Masqualero'' Store Norske Leksikon (in Norwegian) in celebration of the Wayne Shorter compo ...

. * 15 **

Eivind Rølles Eivind Rølles (15 March 1959 Bestum in Oslo — 18 March 2013) was a Norwegian musician (guitar) best known for his time with pop duo The Monroes. prior to this, he was a member of the bands Broadway News and PVC. Biography Rølles was reper ...

, singer and guitarist, The Monroes (died

2013 File:2013 Events Collage V2.png, From left, clockwise: Edward Snowden becomes internationally famous for leaking classified NSA wiretapping information; Typhoon Haiyan kills over 6,000 in the Philippines and Southeast Asia; The Dhaka garment fact ...

). **

Mattis Hætta Mattis Hætta (15 March 1959 – 9 November 2022) was a Norwegian Sami singer and recording artist. In 1980, he and Sverre Kjelsberg won the 1980 Melodi Grand Prix with the entry Sámiid Ædnan and went on to represent Norway in the Eurovisio ...

, Sami singer and recording artist. * 25 –

Per Hillestad Per Hillestad (born 25 March 1959 in Øvre Årdal, Norway) is a Norwegian musician (drums) and record producer, known as drummer in Lava and was contributing in releases by a-ha, Vamp, Jonas Fjeld, Bjølsen Valsemølle and Marius Müller. Car ...

, drummer and record producer,

Lava Lava is molten or partially molten rock (magma) that has been expelled from the interior of a terrestrial planet (such as Earth) or a moon onto its surface. Lava may be erupted at a volcano or through a fracture in the crust, on land or un ...

. * 30 –

Nils Jansen Nils Jansen (born 30 March 1959 in Haugesund, Norway) is a Norwegian jazz musician (saxophone and clarinet), known from several recordings and jazz orchestras. Career Jansen attended the Jazz program at Trondheim Musikkonservatorium (1995– ...

, jazz saxophonist and clarinetist. ; April * 5 –

Elin Rosseland Elin Rosseland (born 5 April 1959 in Norway) is a singer, bandleader, and composer who studied at the Norwegian Academy of Music and is known from collaborations with Vigleik Storaas, Johannes Eick, Sidsel Endresen, Eldbjørg Raknes, Christian W ...

, jazz singer, bandleader, and composer. * 27 –

Odd Magne Gridseth Odd Magne Gridseth (born 27 April 1959 in Ørsta, Sunnmøre, Norway) is a Norwegian musician (bass), known from the Trondheim music scene. Biography Gridseth was regular bassist in the band «Soundtrip» together with guitarist Ove Bjørken, d ...

, jazz bassist. ; June * 19 –

Diesel Dahl Morten "Diesel" Dahl (born 19 June 1959 in Trondheim, Norway) is the drummer and co-founder of the Norwegian hard rock band TNT. He started playing the drums at the age of 15, and played in bands like Burn, Edge and Hotlips before he formed TNT t ...

, drummer,

TNT Trinitrotoluene (), more commonly known as TNT, more specifically 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene, and by its preferred IUPAC name 2-methyl-1,3,5-trinitrobenzene, is a chemical compound with the formula C6H2(NO2)3CH3. TNT is occasionally used as a reagen ...

. ; July * 28 –

Bjørn Ole Rasch Bjørn Ole Rasch (born 28 July 1959) is a Norwegian artist (keyboards performer), composer, arranger and producer. He is a professor of popular music at the Agder University College. With his wife, Annbjørg Lien, he runs the Kongshavn Studios in ...

, keyboardist, composer, music arranger and producer. ; August * 6 –

Sigurd Køhn Sigurd Eystein Køhn (6 August 1959 – 26 December 2004) was a Norwegian jazz saxophonist and composer. Career Køhn was born in Kristiansand, Norway, and started playing the violin and the clarinet at the age of 9, and begun playing the alt ...

jazz saxophonist, composer, and band leader (died

2004 2004 was designated as an International Year of Rice by the United Nations, and the International Year to Commemorate the Struggle Against Slavery and its Abolition (by UNESCO). Events January * January 3 – Flash Airlines Flight 6 ...

). * 20 –

Gaute Storaas Gaute Storaas (born 20 August 1959 in Bergen, Norway) is a Norwegian jazz musician ( bass) and composer, and the older brother of jazz pianist Vigleik Storaas. Career Storaas grew out of the flowering musical environment in Bergen late 70es, e ...

, jazz bassist and composer. * 27 –

Frode Fjellheim Frode Fjellheim (born 27 August 1959 in Mussere) is a Southern Saami yoiker and musician (piano and synthesizer) from Norway. He is best known for his band Transjoik and as the composer of the 2002 song "Eatnemen Vuelie", which was later adapted ...

, yoiker and keyboardist,

Transjoik Transjoik, originally named Frode Fjellheim Jazzjoik Ensemble (founded 1992 in Trondheim, Norway by Frode Fjellheim), is a Norwegian band that plays Sámi music, often characterised as an ambient electronic, techno and trance band, but with a dos ...

. ; September * 14 –

Morten Harket Morten Harket () (born September 14, 1959) is a Norwegian vocalist and songwriter, who is the lead singer of the synthpop/rock band A-ha. A-ha has released 10 studio albums to date, and topped the charts internationally after their breakthrough ...

, singer,

A-ha A-ha (usually stylised as ''a-''h''a''; ) is a Norwegian synth-pop band formed in Oslo in 1982. Founded by Paul Waaktaar-Savoy (guitars and vocals), Magne Furuholmen (keyboards, guitars and vocals), and Morten Harket (lead vocals), the band ...

. * 30 –

Hilde Heltberg Hilde Heltberg (30 September 1959 – 4 September 2011) was a Norwegian singer, guitarist and songwriter, born in Oslo, Norway. Career Heltberg started her career in the late 70s when she entered a talent competition judged by Stein Ove Berg, who ...

, singer, guitarist and songwriter (died

2011 File:2011 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: a protester partaking in Occupy Wall Street heralds the beginning of the Occupy movement; protests against Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi, who was killed that October; a young man celebrate ...

). ; October * 20 –

Ole Hamre Ole Hamre (born 20 October 1959) is a Norwegian drummer. He has worked with Bugge Wesseltoft, Kari Bremnes, Ole Paus, Ketil Bjørnstad, Frode Alnæs, Silje Nergaard, Arve Henriksen and Knut Reiersrud. (in Norway) Career Hamre is known for his c ...

, jazz drummer, percussionist, and composer. * 24 – Per Eirik Johansen, rock singer and music manager (died

2014 File:2014 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Stocking up supplies and personal protective equipment (PPE) for the Western African Ebola virus epidemic; Citizens examining the ruins after the Chibok schoolgirls kidnapping; Bundles of wat ...

) ; November * 30 –

Lars Anders Tomter Lars Anders Tomter (born 30 November 1959) is a Norwegian viola player. He plays on a 1590 Gasparo da Salò Gasparo da Salò (20 May 154214 April 1609) is the name given to Gasparo Bertolotti, one of the earliest violin makers and an expert ...

, classical viola player. ; December * 29 –

Jørn Christensen Jørn Christensen (born December 29, 1959) is a Norwegian artist, actor, and record producer. He is known as a prominent and original guitarist of many leading Norwegian bands. Some of the more important projects have been those in conjunction wit ...

, artist, actor, and record producer. * 30 –

Kåre Thomsen Kåre Thomsen (born 30 December 1959) is a Norwegian Jazz musician (guitar) and graphic designer, known for a number of releases and is active on the Bergen jazz scene performing with musicians like Karl Seglem, Vigleik Storaas and Terje Isungset ...

, jazz guitarist and graphic designer. ; Unknown date *

Bjørn Jenssen Bjørn Jenssen (born 1959 in Bodø, Norway) is a Norwegian jazz musician (drums), known from a number of recordings, and steady drummer in the band Dance With a Stranger. Career Jenssen started playing drums 1974 in local Bodø bands like ...

, jazz drummer, Dance with a Stranger.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:1959 In Norwegian Music Norwegian music

Norwegian Norwegian, Norwayan, or Norsk may refer to: *Something of, from, or related to Norway, a country in northwestern Europe *Norwegians, both a nation and an ethnic group native to Norway *Demographics of Norway *The Norwegian language, including the ...

Music Music is generally defined as the art of arranging sound to create some combination of form, harmony, melody, rhythm or otherwise expressive content. Exact definitions of music vary considerably around the world, though it is an aspect ...

1950s in Norwegian music

Events

February

May

Deaths

Births

See also

References