Håvard Gimse - Piano

is now firmly established as one of Norway’s leading musicians with a bold and expansive repertoire, including an impressive list of 30 performed piano concertos, he is heavily in demand as both soloist and chamber musician and his vast experience means he is also the accompanist of choice to many of Scandinavia’s finest artists.

After gaining his Diploma at the Hochschule der Künste Berlin in 1995 (Leygraf), he continued his studies with the revered piano Professor Jiri Hlinka in Norway. He is the recipient of 1st Prize in the Jugend Musiziert Competition from 1987, and since then has been awarded many of Norway and Scandinavia’s most prestigious awards including the Steinway Prize in 1995, the Grieg Prize in 1996, and most recently the Sibelius Prize in 2004.

Håvard’s great affinity with Scandinavian, and particularly Norwegian music, means he has become one of the arenas most influential and significant recording artists. His sympathetic approach and intelligent partnering of lesser known Scandinavian and Norwegian works, arrangements and composers always receive unanimously superb reviews and prizes including Diapson d’Or and Gramophone’s Critics Choice, encouraging and creating new and enthusiastic audiences. His most recent recordings include discs of Schubert and Schumann with Henning Kraggerud for NAIM, which was nominated for the Spellemanpris (the Norwegian Grammy) in 2011 and his recording of Grieg pieces with Truls Mørk. Recent solo discs include repertoire by Chopin and Grieg for NAIM, Sibelius, Grieg and Tveitt for Naxos and Grieg Violin Sonatas for Sony, and his concerto discs include all five of the 5 Tveitt Piano Concertos for Naxos, Grieg with the Royal Scottish National Symphony Orchestra and he will record Poulenc’s Double Concerto with Christian Ihle Hadland with the Norwegian Radio Orchestra in January 2011.

As a concerto artist, Håvard Gimse has performed extensively throughout Scandinavia, with recent and future invitations from the Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra, the Oslo Philharmonic, the Bergen Philharmonic, Finnish Radio and Danish Radio Symphony Orchestra and Norrkoping Symphony. Further afield he has performed with the Baltimore and Birmingham Symphony Orchestras, the Royal Scottish National and the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestras, Japan Philharmonic Orchestra, Prague Symphony, Frankfurt Radio the Konzerthausorchester Berlin and Belgian National Philharmonic Orchestras.

Håvard Gimse has performed on many of the world’s most prestigious stages including the Wigmore and Carnegie Halls, Palais des Beaux Arts, and the Concertgebouw. Recent solo appearances include the Great Hall in St Petersburg, Suk Hall in Prague, and the Konzerthaus in Berlin. Forthcoming partnerships include appearances with Truls Mørk at the Bergen Festival and across Spain, Berlin Konzerthaus and Carnegie Hall with Tine Thing Helseth, recitals in Germany with Alina Pogoskina and the Wigmore Hall with Marianne Thoresen.

In Norway he is in continual demand for his themed recital programmes with musicians, actors and other artists. He has just completed a highly successful tour throughout the whole country performing a programme of Ole Bull’s music in his 200 year anniversary with the eminent Norwegian violinist Arve Tellefsen.

He was Artistic Director of the Elverum Festival and now sits on the Artistic Board of the Oslo Chamber Music festival. He performs regularly at all of the Norwegian festivals including the Bergen, Trondheim, Risør and Stavanger Chamber Music Festivals where he is called upon to perform varied and extensive programmes with many combinations of artists.

Born in Kongsvinger, about an hour drive east from Oslo, Håvard is the middle child of 3 brothers, his younger brother being a cellist and Artistic Director of the Trondheim Soloists. Håvard Gimse combines his hectic concert schedule with a Professorship at the Oslo Music Conservatoire as well as giving regular master classes across Norway and beyond. Håvard’s high level of artistry, broad experience, easy going and positive nature means his creative output has a significant and far reaching effect on audiences both at home in Norway and abroad.

Henning Kraggerud - Viola

Norwegian violinist Henning Kraggerud is an artist of exquisite musicianship, who combines an unusually sweet tone and beauty of expression with impressive virtuosity, drawing audiences and critics alike towards the genuine quality of his playing.

Henning maintains a busy diary as soloist with many of the world’s major orchestras, building relationships with leading conductors. In Summer 2010 he gave a critically-acclaimed performance at the BBC Proms with the Danish National Symphony under Thomas Dausgaard, and a highly successful season followed including concerts with the Hallé Orchestra, the Bergen Festival, the West Australian and Tasmanian Symphony orchestras, the Toronto Symphony Orchestra and a recital at New York’s Lincoln Center.

After a triumphant debut with the London Philharmonic Orchestra under Osmo Vänska in 2010, Henning has been invited to re-join the conductor at the New World Symphony in the 11/12 season. A favourite with US audiences, Henning has worked previously with the Detroit Symphony under Peter Oundjian and the Seattle Symphony under Vassily Sinaisky among others, and this season returns to the Cincinnati Orchestra as well as performing as soloist and conductor with both the Pacific and Vancouver Symphony orchestras.

The play/directing element of Henning’s career is fast developing as he proves his exceptional talent in this role. In 2009, he stepped in at late notice to play/direct the Britten Sinfonia at the City of London Festival; such was his success that the ensemble invited him as guest director on two major touring projects in 2011. His performance with the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra at Carnegie Hall in the 09/10 season was hailed by the New York Times for his “sweet, polished sound” and the “melting beauty” of his playing. He has performed as play/director with the Zurich Chamber Orchestra, and in the 11/12 season joins the Basel Chamber Orchestra on a tour to include the Rheingau Festival. Extending his work with chamber orchestras further, Henning returns this season to the Geneva Chamber Orchestra where he has been invited to curate a complete programme for violin and viola along with Ilya Gringolts and conductor David Greilsammer.