The Norwegian Wind Ensemble dates back to 1734 and is one of the oldest orchestras in Norway. As the oldest cultural institution of any kind with an unbroken history, the Ensemble is an important part of Norwegian cultural history. The Ensemble consists of 24 musicians playing within different music styles. It is based in Halden, a town south of Oslo, and produces and performs around 120 concerts every year.
The Ensemble has two particular areas of commitment; Historic music and Realtime music. They have found a way to define their own sound for music from the Renaissance to the Baroque, and up to First Viennese School music. They are combining modern woodwind with original brass instruments, which gives new life to familiar works from this era. The Ensembles uniqueness has resulted in a recording of Händels Messiah with the BBC Singers. Another priority for the Ensemble is Realtime music. This is improvisation based on classical references. Created and played in the moment. The Ensemble has over the last years played over 20 Realtime concerts with Michael Wollny in both Norway and Germany, and as of fall 2019 he is the Ensembles Artist in Residence. In collaboration with curator Professor Geir Lysne, the ensemble has worked purposefully to develop collective knowledge and individual skills. In addition to Historic -and Realtime music, The Ensemble does various other productions each year; ranging from Christmas concerts to Frank Zappa, and family shows with local children and youth.
The Norwegian Wind Ensemble has also released a number of CD recordings. Sketches of Spain, under the leadership of Maria Schneider has received many favourable reviews. There have also been a number of recordings of the music of Oscar Borg, the king of Norwegian march music. The Ensembles most recent releases features; Hermetos Universe, a collaboration on the music of Hermeto Pascoal with composer Steffen Schorn, and The Brass from Utopia – A Frank Zappa Tribute, which has been embraced by both audiences and the Zappa family itself.
See a selection of our previous concerts here: DNBEplay
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