2010

Prizewinner 2010

The Nordic Council Music Prize 2010 goes to the Norwegian composer Lasse Thoresen, for "Opus 42".

Statement by the Adjudication Committee

2009

Lasse Thoresen’s BROTHER FOLKS’ CONCERTO broadcast by 19 countries.

In addition to radio-transmissions in NRK, Norway, the concert recording has been ordered through the EBU network for performances in a number of countries:

Lasse Thoresen's YR performed at Nordic Gala Concert 27 May in Bergen

Nordic Gala Concert:: Festival stars on one stage

In cooperation with Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Bergen International Festival invites to a Nordic gala concert with the theme “nature”. The Norwegian government is hosting an international climate conference and the delegates will also be part as audience.

Director Per Boye Hansen promises artistic nature experiences within a wide frame.

Swedish soprano Katarina Karnéus will sing songs of Grieg with Leif Ove Andsnes at the piano, folk dancer Hallgrim Hansegård will acrobatically assist on Lasse Thoresen’s new piece Yr, performed by award winning violin player Ragnhild Hemsing. Hansegård is one of the Eurovision song contest winner Alexander Rybak’s dancers. The concert starts with Terje Isungset’s playing magically on ice. One of Finland’s most reputable male choirs and Norwegian Radio Orchestra are also to be seen.

The concert is televised on NRK TV1 the same night at 10.20 PM

Link

Lasse Thoresen’s Double Concerto recorded for EBU’s series ’Unusual Concerts’
On 14 May Lasse Thoresen’s Double Concert for nyckelharpa and hardingfele, the two national instruments of Sweden and Norway, respectively, is performed by Hans Bjørkroth and Gjermund Larsen, accompanied by the Orchestra of the Norwegian Radio with Mats Rondin as conductor. The concert takes place in Lindemansalen, Oslo, located in the Norwegian Academy of Music where Lasse Thoresen since long has been professor of musical composition. The concert is broadcast all over Europe by the European Broadcasting Union. Thoresen will give a pre-concert talk about the music.

Link

The Concrescence Project begins a year’s work with the Latvian Radio Choir.
The Concrescence Project has began a series of workshops and seminars with the Latvian Radio Choir, one of the best chamber choirs of the world. During one year the choir will receive training in mastering microtonal intervals, with Scandinavian folk music as model; they will be trained in overtone-singing (‘diphonic chant’),  they will study different ethnic voices, and also receive training in vocal improvisation.  The seminars are run by a number of international capacities:  Christian Zehnder; Switzerland) and Valdis Muktupavels (Latvia; overtone singing), Susanne Rosenberg (Sweden; ethnic voice techniques and Swedish folk songs);  Gro Shetelig Kruse (Norway; microtonal ear training and Norwegian folk songs); Sven Ahlbäck (Sweden; Swedish folk music), Guy Reibel (Paris; Jeux Vocaux), Lasse Thoresen (Norway, artistic director of the seminars, composition classes for attending students). 

A number of Latvian and Scandinavian composers attend the workshops with the choir, preparing themselves in this way to write new vocal works that avail themselves of the new vocal possibilities for choral writing. World Premieres will take place during the Ultima Festival in Oslo 2010.

The project is being sponsored by Culture Point North; The Norwegian Academy of Music, and the Royal College of Music in Stockholm.

12 March: Lasse Thoresen's Choral Work Yá Sháfi, yá Káfi to be performed in Stockholm Konserthus by Eric Ericsons Kammarkør, conductor Grete Pedersen.

Konserthuset

MØRK plays THORESEN

NRK TV2 broadcasts the world premier of Lasse Thoresen's new cello concerto with Truls Mørk (soloist) and the Oslo Philarmonic conducted by Jukka Pekke Saraste. The program presents a German Documentary about the soloist, Truls Mørk, and a documentary about the collaboration with Lasse Thoresen in connection with the first performance.

Sunday 2 March 2110, Hovedscenen TV 2

Link

Grieg trio in Domkirken 15.08-2008

THE DESCENT OF LUMINOUS WATERS

Lasse Thoresens Trio nr. 2, with the title «The Descent of Luminous Waters» was given a performance by Grieg Trio without a single lull. It is a brilliant work by the most prominent of Norwegian composers in his generation.  Thoresen is often, as also in this case inspired by nature in the realisation that the beauty of nature is a source from which art may benefit.  In the trio we are presented with soft flowing waters, light, but also cascades of waterfall and menacing undercurrents.  Thoresen treats the sonorous surface so delicately that the thoughts immediately go to French music, but on the other hand one finds a great sincerity, a deep seriousness in the meditative melodic lines that also belong to his great musical palette.  And he does not only challenge the capacity of the trio as an ensemble: Every single instrument is given its time to present itself - almost one after the other like one finds in jazz music. This is instrumental music that appeals both to the ear and the eye.  The listener may fully engage his imagination and fantasy.

Arnfinn Bø Rygh.

Aftenbladet. Stavanger.

2008

06 March: Oslo International Church Music Festival, Trefoldighetskirken. Ut Omnes Unum Sint.

13 March: [St. Pölten, Austria]. Løp, lokk og linjar.  Bit 20. Berit Opheim.

18 April: Lecture at the MIDAS conference; Oslo Aural sonology as a tool in interpretation.

26 April: [HaugesundValen-festivalen]: Diphonie I. Nordic Voices.

08 May: Concert — Grieg Trio plays "The Descent of Luminous Waters"

09 May: [M.A.D.E.festivalen, Umeå] Diphonie I.  Nordic Voices

12-13 May: [Riga] Concrescence Project involving Latvijas Radio Koris, with Gro Shetelig Kruse.

28 May: [Bergen International Music Festival. Domkirken] World premier: Solbøn(10’).Nordic Voices — PDF



28 May: [Bergen] Release of  Nordic Voices’ new CD, containing Diphonie I

04 June: [Paris]. Presentation at EMS08: Sound characters, sound values and form in Åke Parmerud ‘Les Objets Obscurs’

05. - 08 August: Presentation at Nordic Musicological Congress, Oslo. ‘The Analysis of Emergent Musical Forms: A Multi Media Implementation.’

24 August: [Dalhalla, Sweden] Double Concerto for Harding fiddle, Nyckelharpa, and Orchestra. ‘To the Brother Peoples’ Gjermund Larsen, Hardingfiddle, Hans Bjørkroth, Nyckelharpa, Dalarna sinfonietta — PDF

06 October: [Ultima festivalen, Lindemansalen, Oslo] Helligkvad. Berit Opheim.

06 November: [Oslo Konserthus]: World premier: Symphonic Concerto for violon-cello and orchestra. Journey through three Valleys”(42’) Truls Mørk, Oslo Philharmonic Orchestra, Jukka Pekka Saraste