Historic partnership with Ørjan Matre
Ørjan Matre is Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra's composer-in-residence from 2025 to 2027. His tenure will span over two seasons, and both orchestra musicians and the audience will have ample opportunity to become acquainted with his music.
Matre opens the next concert season with Freude, a prelude to Beethoven's Ninth Symphony. Throughout the season, several of his works will be revisited; preSage, Lyric Pieces II, "…yet from these flames no light" and Resurgence. We will be introduced to two new works, his piano concerto commissioned by and performed with Leif Ove Andsnes as soloist, and the prelude to Beethoven 9, as already mentioned.
Ørjan Matre (b. 1979) studied composition at the Norwegian Academy of Music with Bjørn Kruse, Lasse Thoresen, Olav Anton Thommessen and Henrik Hellstenius. He has served as composer-in-residence with both the Kristiansand Symphony Orchestra and the Oslo Philharmonic. Matre has established himself as a prominent voice in Norwegian contemporary music and has received commissions from leading performers, ensembles, and orchestras.
Matre belongs to a generation of Norwegian composers who embraced the large orchestral format early in their careers. His music is characterised by intricate textures, bold instrumentation, and a continuous exploration of sonic and structural boundaries. His works have received wide recognition and have been performed repeatedly in Norway and internationally.
He has collaborated with the Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra on numerous occasions — the orchestra also gave the world premiere of his very first orchestral work.
– Ørjan Matre is a composer with a clear voice in the present. For us, this two-year collaboration is not only about a sincere desire to present more of his music to the public, but also about a curiosity about what such a “voice in the present” could actually be.
The Norwegian music field has some structural challenges related to visibility and performance of new music, and with this collaboration we have given ourselves time and space to explore the possibilities together with Ørjan, says Sigurd Sverdrup Sandmo, Managing Director of Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra.
LISTEN LIVE IN CONCERT
Thursday 4 and Friday 5 September, Grieghallen:
Freude (world premiere)
Jan Willem de Vriend conductor
Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra
Thursday 18 September, Grieghallen:
preSage
Dinis Sousa conductor
Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra
Friday 3 October, Universitetsaulaen:
Lyric Pieces II (chamber music)
Bergen String Quartet
Ellena Armelius piano
Ørjan Matre electronics
Thursday 4 Desember, Grieghallen:
"…yet from these flames no light" (version with chorus)
Matthew Halls conductor
Johannes Wik harp
Edvard Grieg Vokalensemble
Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra
Torsday 9 April, Grieghallen:
Resurgence
Antony Hermus conductor
Bergen Philharmonic Youth Orchestra
Thursday 16 and Friday 17 April, Grieghallen:
Piano Concerto
Edward Gardner condcutor
Leif Ove Andsnes piano
Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra
LISTEN TO PREVIOUS RECORDINGS
Concerto for percussion and orchestra
Ludovic Morlot conductor
Hans-Kristian Kjos Sørensen percussion
Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra
Lyric Pieces
Edward Gardner conductor
Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra
Different Stories
Edward Gardner conductor
Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra
''...yet from those flames no light''
Edward Gardner conductor
Johannes Wik harp
Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra
Community and dialogue
Ever since the Orchestra premiered my very first orchestral work, the Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra has had a special place in my composing career. Some of my most significant musical moments have been with them, and it is a great honour to be invited to create music together with an ensemble with such a rich history.
In a world characterised by uncertainty, unrest and conflict, creating art can sometimes feel pointless. But when everything around us is changing rapidly, the news is chaotic and the surroundings feel threatening, we need space for reflection and immersion more than ever.
It is precisely in such times that the concert hall can be one of the most important spaces we have – a place where we not only celebrate the magnificent and beautiful, but also listen, reflect and think long thoughts together.
The orchestral tradition is an art form that is built on community and dialogue. It is an interaction between the individual and the whole, between history and new impulses. When we sit in the hall, we become part of this dialogue – between the audience, musicians and composer, between past and present.
Over the next two seasons, I look forward to exploring this – after all – deeply meaningful interaction together with the musicians of the Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra and their audience.
Ørjan Matre
Composer-in-residence
orjanmatre.no
wisemusicclassical.com
Photos: Tarjei Hummelsund, Sunniva Øiestad og Oddleiv Apneseth