Bergen International Festival ( no, Festspillene i Bergen) is an annual international music and cultural festival in

Bergen Bergen (), historically Bjørgvin, is a city and municipality in Vestland county on the west coast of Norway. , its population is roughly 285,900. Bergen is the second-largest city in Norway. The municipality covers and is on the peninsula of ...

Norway Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic country in Northern Europe, the mainland territory of which comprises the western and northernmost portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula. The remote Arctic island of Jan Mayen and t ...

Biography

The Bergen International festival is the largest festival in the Nordic countries in its genre and has a large number of activities in music, dance, literature, visual arts, folklore, etc. The festival is held over fourteen days from the end of May to the start of June and is located in numerous places like the

Grieg Hall Grieg Hall ( no, Grieghallen) is a 1,500 seat concert hall located on Edvard Griegs' square in Bergen, Norway. Grieghallen was named in honor of Bergen-born composer Edvard Grieg, who served as music director of the Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra ...

, Haakon's Hall,

Troldhaugen Troldhaugen is the former home of Norwegian composer Edvard Grieg and his wife Nina Grieg. Troldhaugen is located in Bergen, Norway and consists of the Edvard Grieg Museum, Grieg's villa, the hut where he composed music, and his and his wife's ...

Lysøen Lysøen is an island in Bjørnafjorden in Vestland county, Norway. Lysøen is also the site of Villa Lysøen (''Ole Bulls villa på Lysøen''), the home of Norwegian violin-virtuoso and composer Ole Bull until his death in 1880. Villa Lysøen ...

Siljustøl Siljustøl is a museum situated in the borough of Ytrebygda in Bergen, Norway. It was previously the home of composer and musical artist Harald Sæverud and his wife Marie Hvoslef. History Harald Sæverud (1897–1992) and Marie Hvoslef (19 ...

as well as streets and town squares of Bergen. In the same time span the International Jazz Festival,

Nattjazz Bergen International Jazz Festival or Nattjazz, is one of the largest jazz festivals of Norway. The festival has a musical profile with an emphasis on ethnic and jazz, contemporary jazz. It is held annually in late May, coinciding with Festspil ...

, takes place in

. The first festival that started on 1 June 1953, exactly 55 years after its predecessor and source of inspiration, the first music festival in Norway

Edvard Grieg Edvard Hagerup Grieg ( , ; 15 June 18434 September 1907) was a Norwegian composer and pianist. He is widely considered one of the foremost Romantic era composers, and his music is part of the standard classical repertoire worldwide. His use of ...

's ''Bergen Music Festival'' starting on the 26 June 1898. The model was the

Salzburg Festival The Salzburg Festival (german: Salzburger Festspiele) is a prominent festival of music and drama established in 1920. It is held each summer (for five weeks starting in late July) in the Austrian town of Salzburg, the birthplace of Wolfgang Amad ...

, and the initiative came partly from opera singer Fanny Elstad. The original festival director was Frank Meidell Falch from 1951 to 1957. Christen Gran Bøgh, who died in 1955, also played a major role in the festival's first edition.

Grieg’s concerto in A minor

’s piano concerto in A minor is often called the signature work of the Festival, and has been performed at almost every Festival since 1953. Here are all the soloists: Troldhaugen in Bergen

* 1953: Robert Riefling * 1954: Ivar Johnsen * 1955: Not performed * 1956:

Grant Johannesen Grant Johannesen (July 30, 1921 – March 27, 2005) was an American pianist. Biography Johannesen was born in Salt Lake City and discovered at the age of five by a teacher who lived across the street. He imitated whatever he heard her play, a ...

* 1957:

Kjell Bækkelund Kjell Bækkelund (6 May 1930 – 13 May 2004) was a Norwegian classical pianist. Biography Bækkelund was born in Oslo, Norway. He was the son of Martin Bækkelund (1903–66) and Rallik Antonette Hansen (1904–94). He was a student at the ...

* 1958: Ivar Johnsen * 1959: Robert Riefling * 1960:

Hans Richter-Haaser Hans Richter-Haaser (6 January 191213 December 1980) was a noted German classical pianist, who was known for his interpretations of Beethoven, Schubert and Schumann. He was also a teacher, a conductor, and a composer. Hans Richter-Haaser was born ...

* 1961:

* 1962:

Liv Glaser Liv Glaser (born 23 September 1935 in Oslo, Norway) is a Norwegian pianist, music teacher, and professor at the Norwegian Academy of Music, the daughter of violinist Ernst Glaser and pianist Kari Marie Aarvold Glaser, and married 1971 to direct ...

* 1963: Robert Riefling * 1964:

Benny Dahl-Hansen Benny or Bennie is a given name or a shortened version of the given name Benjamin or, less commonly, Benedict, Bennett, Benito, Benson, Bernice, Ebenezer or Bernard. People Bennie Given name * Bennie M. Bunn (1907–1943), American Marine o ...

* 1965:

* 1966:

Gina Bachauer Gina Bachauer (Greek: Τζίνα Μπαχάουερ; May 21, 1910, AthensAugust 22, 1976, Athens), was a Greek classical pianist who toured extensively in the United States and Europe. Interested in piano at a young age, Bachauer graduated from t ...

* 1967:

Jan Henrik Kayser Jan Henrik Kayser (20 February 1933 – 24 April 2016) was a Norwegian classical pianist. He was born in Bergen. He made his concert debut in 1953, and is known as performer of Harald Sæverud Harald Sigurd Johan Sæverud (17 April 1897&nb ...

* 1968: Svjatsolav Richter * 1969:

Eva Knardahl Eva Knardahl Freiwald (10 May 1927 – 3 September 2006) was a Norwegian pianist, with a noted career both as a child prodigy and adult performer. Her debut with the Oslo Philharmonic Orchestra at the age of 12, in which she played three conce ...

* 1970:

Vladimir Ashkenazy Vladimir Davidovich Ashkenazy (russian: Влади́мир Дави́дович Ашкена́зи, ''Vladimir Davidovich Ashkenazi''; born 6 July 1937) is an internationally recognized solo pianist, chamber music performer, and conductor. He ...

* 1971:

Jens Harald Bratlie Jens Harald Bratlie (born 22 November 1948) is a Norwegian pianist. He has studied in Oslo, Paris and London, and made his debut at the age of 17 in Oslo in 1965. Bratlie won first prize at the Conservatoire de Paris in 1967, The Rieflingprice ...

* 1972:

Radu Lupu Radu Lupu (30 November 1945 – 17 April 2022) was a Romanian pianist. He was widely recognized as one of the greatest pianists of his time. Born in Galați, Romania, Lupu began studying piano at the age of six. Two of his major piano teach ...

* 1973:

Håkon Austbø Håkon Austbø (born October 22, 1948) is a Norwegian classical pianist. He has created many recordings for the label Brilliant Classics and Naxos Records, and is also a professor at the Amsterdam conservatory. Born in Kongsberg, Austbø studie ...

* 1974: Robert Riefling * 1975:

Einar Steen-Nøkleberg Einar Steen-Nøkleberg (born 25 April 1944) is a Norwegian classical pianist and musical pedagogue. Steen-Nøkleberg was born in Østre Toten to farmer Jacob Steen-Nøkleberg and Signe Sveen. He has recorded more than fifty albums, and toured al ...

* 1976: Steffan Scheja * 1977: Jorunn Marie Bratlie * 1978:

Emil Gilels Emil Grigoryevich Gilels (Russian: Эми́ль Григо́рьевич Ги́лельс; 19 October 1916 – 14 October 1985) was a Russian pianist. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest pianists of all time. Early life and educatio ...

* 1979:

Geir Henning Braaten Geir Henning Braaten (born 29 October 1944 in Odalen) is a Norwegian pianist. In Oslo, he studied with Nicolai Dirdal from age five, and later with Robert Riefling, both at the Oslo Conservatory of Music. He also studies in France with Yvonne ...

* 1980: Einar Henning Smebye * 1981:

Karl Engel Karl (Rudolf) Engel (Birsfelden, 1 June 1923 - Clarens, Switzerland, Chernex, 2 September 2006) was a Switzerland, Swiss pianist. In 1952 Engel was awarded the second prize at the Queen Elisabeth Music Competition, Queen Elisabeth competition. ...

* 1982:

András Schiff Sir András Schiff (; born 21 December 1953) is a Hungarian-born British classical pianist and conductor, who has received numerous major awards and honours, including the Grammy Award, Gramophone Award, Mozart Medal, and Royal Academy of Musi ...

* 1983: Cécilie Ousset * 1984:

* 1985:

Bruno Leonardo Gelber Bruno Leonardo Gelber (born 19 March 1941) is an Argentine classical pianist. Biography Gelber is an Argentine pianist born in Buenos Aires, with Austrian and French-Italian descent. His father was a violinist, his mother a pianist. He made hi ...

* 1986:

Roland Pöntinen Roland Peter Pöntinen (born 1963 in Stockholm, Sweden) is a Swedish pianist and composer. Pöntinen was born to an Ingrian Finnish father and Swedish mother. He studied at the Adolf Fredrik's Music School and the Royal Swedish Academy of Musi ...

* 1987:

Bella Davidovich Bella Mikhaylovna Davidovich (Бэлла Миха́йловна Давидо́вич; born July 16, 1928) is a Soviet-born American pianist. Biography Davidovich was born in Baku, Azerbaijan SSR, into a Jewish family of musicians and began studyi ...

* 1988:

Leif Ove Andsnes Leif Ove Andsnes (; born 7 April 1970) is a Norwegian pianist and chamber musician. Andsnes has made several recordings for Virgin and EMI. In 2012, Leif Ove Andsnes has signed to Sony Classical, and recorded for the label the "Beethoven Journe ...

* 1989: Mark Zeltser * 1990: Lyubow Timofeyeva * 1991: John Kimura Parker * 1992: Michael Rudy * 1993:

* 1994: Lilya Silberstein * 1995:

Lars Vogt Lars Vogt (8 September 1970 – 5 September 2022) was a German classical pianist, conductor and academic teacher. Noted by ''The New York Times'' for his interpretations of Brahms, Vogt performed as a soloist with major orchestras, including the ...

* 1996:

Håvard Gimse Håvard Gimse (born 15 September 1966) is a Norwegian classical pianist from Kongsvinger, and the brother of the cellist Øyvind Gimse. He has received the Griegprisen (1996) and the Steinway Award (1995). Gimse has done several recordings for ...

* 1997:

Jean-Yves Thibaudet Jean-Yves Thibaudet (born 7 September 1961)Michael & Joyce Kennedy, 2007. is a French pianist. Early life and studies Jean-Yves Thibaudet was born in Lyon, France, to non-professional musical parents. His father played the violin, and his mother, ...

* 1998: Nils Mortensen * 1999: Noriko Ogawa * 2000: Peter Jablonski * 2001: Nikolai Luganskij * 2002:

* 2003:

* 2004:

Gunilla Süssmann Gunilla Süssmann (born 22 June 1977 in Bergen, is a Norwegian classical pianist. Career Having played the piano since the age of six, Süssmann graduated from the Norwegian Academy of Music in 2002, and got her soloist diploma from the Music ...

* 2005: Anti Siirala * 2006: Rian de Waal * 2007:

Percy Grainger Percy Aldridge Grainger (born George Percy Grainger; 8 July 188220 February 1961) was an Australian-born composer, arranger and pianist who lived in the United States from 1914 and became an American citizen in 1918. In the course of a long an ...

/Pianola * 2008: Sigurd Slåttebrekk * 2009: Juho Pohjonen * 2010:

Gabriela Montero Gabriela Montero (born May 10, 1970) is a Venezuelan pianist, known in particular for her real-time improvisation of complex musical pieces on themes suggested by her audience and other sources, as well as for performances of standard classical r ...

* 2011: Ikke spilt * 2012: Christian Ihle Hadland * 2013: Marianna Shirinyan * 2014:

Simon Trpceski Simon may refer to: People * Simon (given name), including a list of people and fictional characters with the given name Simon * Simon (surname), including a list of people with the surname Simon * Eugène Simon, French naturalist and the genus ...

* 2015:

Ronald Brautigam Ronald Brautigam (born 1954) is a Dutch concert pianist, best known for his performances of Beethoven's piano works on the fortepiano. Born in Amsterdam, Brautigam studied there with Jan Wijn (1971-79), then he left to study in London with John B ...

Musician in residence

* 1997:

* 1998: Randi Stene * 1999:

Christian Eggen Christian Eggen (born 8 January 1957) is a 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 * Dem ...

* 2001:

Det Norske Kammerorkester Det Norske Kammerorkester or The Norwegian Chamber Orchestra (established in 1977) is a chamber orchestra based in Oslo. Biography The orchestra was founded by the violinist Bjarne Fiskum who got the idea for a summer course for young string tal ...

* 2003:

Anne Sofie von Otter Anne Sofie von Otter (born 9 May 1955) is a Swedish mezzo-soprano. Her repertoire encompasses lieder, operas, oratorios and also rock and pop songs. Early life Von Otter was born in Stockholm, Sweden. Her father was Göran von Otter, a Swedis ...

* 2004:

Henning Kraggerud Henning Kraggerud (born 23 June 1973) is a Norwegian musician and composer. Career Kraggerud was born in Oslo. He studied with Camilla Wicks, Emanuel Hurwitz, and Stephan Barratt-Due, before embarking on a career that has brought solo appeara ...

* 2005:

Martin Fröst Martin Fröst (born 14 December 1970) is a Swedish clarinetist and conductor. He is principal conductor of the Swedish Chamber Orchestra. He is also a developer of multimedia projects with music, choreography and light design, in which he appea ...

* 2006:

Per Arne Glorvigen Per Arne Glorvigen (born 2 June 1963, in Drammen) is a Norwegian musician and composer, particularly known as a bandoneon and tango player. He is mentioned as one of the world's leading contemporary bandoneon players and "wizard of the buttons" ( ...

* 2007:

Trio Mediæval Trio Mediæval is a vocal trio established in 1997 in Oslo, mainly to sing medieval polyphonic works. Its members are Anna Maria Friman (from Sweden) and Linn Andrea Fuglseth and Torunn Østrem Ossum (from Norway). The trio's debut album, ''Word ...

* 2008: Bjarte Eike

References

External links

* Music festivals established in 1953 Music festivals in Norway Festivals in Bergen Classical music festivals in Norway Cultural festivals in Norway Music in Bergen 1953 establishments in Norway Culture in Hordaland {{Norway-stub