Arne Nordheim
Arne Nordheim was one of the dominant figures on the Norwegian music scene. He was awarded any possible price or acknowledgement possible to a Norwegian composer and lived in the Norwegian State’s artist’s residence of honour, known as Grotten (The Cave). Arne Nordheim (1931-2010) studied organ, piano and music theory at the Musical Academy of Oslo. His first performance as a composer was at the Young Scandinavian Music Festival in Stockholm in 1954. He has written pieces in most genres, but his most important instrument is, without doubt, the orchestra.
In the homage volume for Nordheim’s 50 years anniversary, Rolf Davidson wrote the article ”Everything Shall Sing”, taking its lead from a text the composer wrote for the magazine Nutida Musik, concerning the orchestral piece Epitaffio. Early orchestral pieces such as the previous mentioned Epitaffio and Aftonland were inspired by their setting in time and the search for a new sound in traditional instruments, even though the latter also utilized electronics on tape. Nordheim’s setting was a period very concerned with electronics, a period in which purely electronic pieces such as “Solitaire”, came side by side with pieces which mingled electronics with percussion and other instruments. For some time he also wrote for the stage, radio, TV and ballet, and he experimented and exceeded borders as the work progressed.
In 1968 he was awarded the Nordic Councils Music Award for the piece Eco for soprano, choir and orchestra. This piece marked the beginning of a new line of development, and Nordheim had reached a point where he could produce electronic tones from ordinary instruments. At the same time he left the gross tones for good.
Over the last decades of his life, he wrote commissioned pieces for prominent ensembles and musicians such as Zubin Metha, the Los Angeles Symphony Orchestra and the Concertgebouw orchestra in Amsterdam. The Ballet Stormen is based on The Tempest, the drama of Shakespeare, and is among The Norwegian Opera & Ballet’s greatest successes.
Arne Nordheim Composer Award
The Arne Nordheim Composer Award was founded by the Ministry of Cultural Affairs and introduced as a National gift to Arne Nordheim on his 70-years anniversary on the 20th of June 2001. The price was NOK 100 000 in 2001 and fixed to an annual index adjustment. The Arne Nordheim Composer Award will be awarded a Norwegian composer, and the winner is appointed by a jury of three, Arne Nordheim himself being their leader. The price is awarded annually during the Ultima Festival, and so far the following composers have gotten the award: Maja Solveig Kjelstrup Ratkje (2001), Kåre Kolberg (2002), Lars Petter Hagen (2003), Cecilie Ore (2004), Sven Lyder Kahrs (2005), Ole-Henrik Moe (2006), Nils Henrik Asheim (2007) and Ragnhild Berstad (2008).