Terje Isungset (born May 4, 1964) is a Norwegian drummer. From his background in

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a major ...

and traditional Scandinavian music, he has designed musical instruments from non-traditional materials, including ice.

Career

Arve Henriksen and Terje Isungset 2015-12-04

Isungset was raised in Geilo where he played traditional dance music with his father (accordion) during his high school days. Moving to

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 ...

in 1984 led him to be a popular member of a number of Bergen groups, such as Ictus and Tordenskjolds soldater (1984–85), Growl and Gruv (1984-88), Saksbehandlerne and Night and Day (1985–86), Salsa Pati (1985–87), and Supply (1985–88), in addition to periods within the Big Band Emanon from 1986, and his recording debut ''Amalgamation'' (1985) with Kenneth Sivertsen. Isungset is, after more than two decades on the jazz scene, one of Europe's most accomplished and innovative percussionists. With more than 25 years experience in jazz and Scandinavian traditional music he raises these narrow forms of music far beyond their traditional boundaries, becoming more like a crossover between a sound artist and a shaman. When crafting his own instruments from Norwegian natural elements such as arctic birch, granite, slate, sheep bells and even ice, he is highly recommended to those sensible to the poetry and simplicity of sounds. His work is highly acclaimed in the press, often described as innovative, visual, energetic, and different from any previously known concepts. His love for ice music was raised in 1999 when the commission of the winterfestival at Lillehammer asked him to compose and play in a frozen waterfall. He has invented the concept of icemusic, and also invented a way to perform icemusic indoor in ordinary concert halls, doing around 50 indoor ice concerts every year. CNN calls Isungset the first and only icemusician in the world. Isungset has been commissioned to compose music for jazz festivals, dance performances, theatre, and film, with 41 commissioned concerts. He has released ten solo albums and is now doing most of his work internationally. Solo concerts, with his band or in collaboration with other artists. In 2006 he had the idea of creating an icemusic festival and started the

Ice Music Festival Ice Music Festival Norway (initiated 2006 in Geilo, Norway) is a "glacial instrument" festival founded by Terje Isungset together with Pål Knutsson Medhus. Isungset had the idea behind the festival and remains the creative director. The festival ...

Geilo, Norway is a centre in the municipality of Hol in Viken county, Norway. Geilo is primarily a ski resort town, with around 2,500 inhabitants. It is situated in the valley of Hallingdal, 250 km from Oslo and 260 km from Bergen. The Bergen Line ...

organized by Pål Knutsson Medhus. He is also the founding manager of the record label All Ice Records. His most recent project is the Glassmusic together with Arve Henriksen. They released an album named ''World of Glass'' in late 2014. The recordings were largely made in front of a live audience in Tallinn. All the instruments were made from glass by students from the Estonian Academy of Arts. He is a member of the bandsGroupa (Sweden), Utla and Isglem. He has ongoing duos with Per Jørgensen, Arve Henriksen, Sissel Vera Pettersen, Didier Petit, Therese Skauge, Jorma Tapio and Stian Westerhus. For the 2017 Vossajazz festival, Isungset was commissioned to compose new music for a new band. Isungset is also an associate professor at the Grieg Academy, University of Bergen.

Honors

* 1996:

Vossajazz Vossajazz or Vossa Jazz (established 19 December 1973) is an international jazz festival in Voss, Norway, which takes place annually during the week before Easter, and which also includes concerts throughout the year. The festival has been led by ...

prisen * 2016:''Financial Times'' named Isungset as one of the "First persons". * 2008: Edvardprisen in the Open class for the album ''Igloo''

Projects

*2010: ''Organic expressions'', project with three dancers (Rebecca Hytting, Guro Rimeslåtten, Christine Kjellberg) from the Carte Blanche Dance Company *2012: ''Isslottet'', at the Oslo Opera and Ballet

Discography

Solo albums

*1997: ''Reise'' ( NorCD) *2000: ''Floating Rhythms'' (Via Music) *2002: ''Iceman Is'' (All Ice Records) ( Jazzland/

Virgin Virginity is the state of a person who has never engaged in sexual intercourse. The term ''virgin'' originally only referred to sexually inexperienced women, but has evolved to encompass a range of definitions, as found in traditional, modern ...

), with Arve Henriksen *2003: ''Middle of Mist'' (NorCD) *2006: ''Igloo'' (All Ice Records), nominated for Spellemannprisen in the class Jazz, with Sidsel Endresen *2007: ''Two Moons'' (All Ice Records), with

Per Jørgensen Per Jørgensen (born 9 September 1952) is a Norwegian multi-instrumentalist with trumpet as his main instrument, also known for his vocal contributions, in collaboration with Dag Arnesen, Knut Kristiansen, Alex Riel, Jon Christensen (musician), ...

*2008: ''Ice Concerts'' (All Ice Records) *2009: ''Hibernation'' (All Ice Records) *2010: ''Winter Songs'' (All Ice Records) *2014: ''World Of Glass'' (All Ice Records), with Arve Henriksen *2015: ''Meditations'' (All Ice Records) *2015: ''Terje Isungset & Stian Westerhus'' (All Ice Records), with

Stian Westerhus Stian Westerhus (born 2 April 1979) is a Norwegian guitarist known for his experimental style, explored with keyboardist Øystein Moen in the bands Jaga Jazzist and Puma and with Sidsel Endresen, Nils Petter Molvær, Arve Henriksen, Jan Bang, a ...

*2015: ''Isslottet'' (All Ice Records) *2016: ''Oase'' Terje Isungset &

Sissel Vera Pettersen Sissel Vera Pettersen (born January 28, 1977, in Oslo, Norway is a Norwegian jazz vocalist, saxophonist and composer, based in Copenhagen, Denmark. She is known for her extended and experimental vocal techniques, often mixed with the use of live e ...

(All Ice Records) *2019: ''Sildrande'' (All Ice Records) Terje Isungset with Arve Henriksen,

Mats Eilertsen Mats Eilertsen (born 4 March 1975) is a Norwegian jazz musician and composer. He is known for recording with numerous bands, including the Maria Kannegaard Trio, Ola Kvernberg, Nils Økland, Eldbjørg Raknes, Anders Aarum Trio, Eirik Hegdal, Sve ...

Nils Økland Nils Andreas Økland (10 June 1882 – 1969) was a Norwegian Esperantist and teacher in Stord (Hordaland), Norway. He spent some years in his youth on the island Utsira, where his father was a school teacher. Nils Økland was married to Hanna ...

, Morten Qvenild,

& others

Collaborative works

;With Kenneth Sivertsen *1985: ''Amalgamation'' (Hot Club Records), including Knut Riisnæs and Bjørn Kjellemyr ;Within Karl Seglem's Sogn-A-Song *1991: ''

Sogn-A-Song Karl Seglem (born 8 July 1961 in Årdalstangen, Norway) is a Norwegian Jazz musician (saxophone and bukkehorn), composer and producer, known from a series of combined jazz and traditional music releases, as well as leading his own record label No ...

'' ( NorCD) *1994: ''Rit'' (NorCD) ;Within

Isglem Isglem (established 1987 in Bergen, Norway) is a Norwegian musical duo comprising Karl Seglem and Terje Isungset. Their traditional music and free jazz-based expression involves an unusual amount of improvisation and has given the pairing a pione ...

(duo with Karl Seglem) *1991: ''Rom'' (NorCD) *1992: ''To Steg'' ( NorCD) *1996: ''Null G'' (NorCD) *2003: ''Fire'' (NorCD) *2016: "Femte" (NorCD) ;Within Orleysa, fest.

Tore Brunborg Tore Brunborg (born 20 May 1960) is a Norwegian jazz musician and composer who plays saxophone. He was born in Trondheim but grew up in Voss where a jazz environment was flowering. Known from numerous appearances with international greats includ ...

*1991: ''Orleysa'' (

Odin Records Odin Records is a Norwegians, Norwegian jazz record company and label founded in 1981 by the Norwegian Jazz Federation, when there were not many independent record labels in Norway. Only major international record companies were to be found in O ...

) *1993: ''Svanshornet'' (Odin Records) ;Within Utla (including Håkon Høgemo and Karl Seglem) *1992: ''Utla'' (NorCD) *1993: ''Juv'' (NorCD) *1995: ''Brodd'' (NorCD) *1999: ''Dans'' (NorCD) *2003: ''Song'' (NorCD), feat. Berit Opheim Versto ;Within Groupa (including Jonas Simonson and Mats Edén) *1999: ''Lavalek'' (Xource) *2008: ''Frost'' (Footprint) *2014: ''Silent Folk'' (Footprint) *2016: "Kind of folk,vol1. Sweden. (All Ice Records) ;With others *1995: ''

Haugtussa ''Haugtussa'' (edited 1895) is an epic circle of poems, written by the Norwegian author Arne Garborg. The poems are reckoned a classical example of Norwegian Neo-romanticism or Symbolism. The themes of the poems are closely related to Garborg's ...

'' ( Kirkelig Kulturverksted), with poems by Arne Garborg (including

Lynni Treekrem Lynni Treekrem (born 26 December 1958) is a Norwegian singer and composer. She was born in Seattle, Washington, US, and grew up in Kristiansund. Her album ''Haugtussa'' from 1995 earned her Spellemannprisen Spellemannprisen, often referred to ...

, Annbjørg Lien, Arild Andersen,

Børge Petersen-Øverleir Børge Petersen-Øverleir (born 3 February 1967 in Hemnesberget, Norway) is a Norwegian guitarist, raised in Bergen and Bodø, early active in heavy rock, autodidact in jazz centered around in Bodø. Biography Petersen-Øverleir has collaborate ...

Hans Fredrik Jacobsen Hans Fredrik Jacobsen (born 8 September 1954) is a Norwegian musician and composer, best known for his work with his wife, the traditional folk singer Tone Hulbækmo, and with the medieval music group Kalenda Maya, as well as his concert and studi ...

, Ketil Bjørnstad,

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 ...

and

Tone Hulbækmo Tone Hulbækmo (born 27 September 1957) is a Norwegian singer and musician, married to the traditional folk flutist Hans Fredrik Jacobsen, and the mother of Jazz drummer and vibraphonist Hans Hulbækmo (b. 1989) and pianist Alf Hulbækmo (b. 17 ...

) *1995: ''Det syng'' (Kirkelig Kulturverksted), with Lynni Treekrem *1996: ''Prosa'' (NorCD), with poems by

Jon Fosse Jon Olav Fosse (born 29 September 1959) is a Norwegian author and dramatist. Biography Jon Fosse was born in Haugesund, Norway. A serious accident at age seven brought him close to death; the experience significantly influenced his adulthood wr ...

(including Arve Henriksen, Håkon Høgemo, Karl Seglem and Reidar Skår) *1996: ''Tya - frå Bor til Bytes'' (NorCD), with

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 ...

, Karl Seglem and Reidar Skår *1998: '' Spir'' (NorCD), with Karl Seglem, Berit Opheim Versto, Morten Sæle and

Audun Erlien Audun Erlien (born 22 February 1967 in Oslo, Norway) is a Norwegians, Norwegian jazz musician (bass guitar, guitar and electronica), known from several albums in various genres. Career Erlien was raised in Tønsberg, Norway, and has been a mu ...

*1999: ''Bergtatt'', with Grete Helgerød and Oslo Kammerkor *2000: ''Daa'' (NorCD), trio with Arve Henriksen and Karl Seglem *2001: ''Shadows And Light'' (FMR Records), duo with

Frode Gjerstad Frode Gjerstad (born 24 March 1948) is a Norwegian jazz musician with alto saxophone as principal instrument, but he also plays other saxophones, clarinet, and flute. He has collaborated with Paal Nilssen-Love, Borah Bergman, Peter Brötzmann, E ...

*2004: ''New North'' (NorCD), with Karl Seglem *2005: ''Didier Petit - Terje Isungset'' (Vossa Jazz Records), duo with Didier Petit live at

2003 *2006: ''Aihki'' (Ektro Records), duo with Jorma Tapio *2006: ''Sáivu'', with Arve Henriksen and Torgeir Vassvik *2006: ''On the Great Alkali Plains'' (Jester Records), with Espen Jørgensen *2008: ''Agbalagba Daada'' (Ektro Records), duo with Per Jørgensen *2008: ''Laden With Rain'' (FMR Records), duo with

*2008: ''Sådagen'' (Etnisk musikklubb), with Eilif Gundersen, Gunnlaug Lien Myhr and Tor Egil Kreken *2011: ''City Stories'' (NorCD), with Daniel Herskedal *2011: ''Beginner's Guide to Scandinavia'' (Nascente/Virgin), with various artists

References

External links

*
Ice Music websiteAll Ice Records websiteNorwegian Ice Festival websitewww.glassmusic.nowww.groupa.seFoxy Digitalis interview, 2006
{{DEFAULTSORT:Isungset, Terje 1964 births Living people Norwegian composers Norwegian male composers 20th-century Norwegian drummers 21st-century Norwegian drummers Norwegian jazz drummers Male drummers Norwegian percussionists Musicians from Hol Musicians from Bergen Norwegian musical instrument makers NorCD artists 20th-century drummers 20th-century Norwegian male musicians 21st-century Norwegian male musicians Male jazz musicians Trondheim Jazz Orchestra members Geir Lysne Listening Ensemble members Agbaland members Jazzland Recordings (1997) artists FMR Records artists