Arne Nordheim, 1931-2010, has gained wide recognition as Norway’s leading contemporary composer and as a major creative force in European modern music since his debut with the first String Quartet (1956) and the performance of the orchestral work Canzona in Amsterdam (1963). Nordheim’s varied output comprises almost all genres: orchestral symphonic works, a violin concerto, a cello concerto (Tenebrae), chamber music, vocal music – choral music and music for solo singers, incidental music for the stage, the large-scale oratorio Nidaros (1996), electroacoustic works, radio productions, and the famous score to the ballet Stormen (The Tempest). He has been awarded all the prizes and distinctions available to Norwegian composers, as well as the Nordic Council’s Music Prize (1972) and prestigious prizes in other countries. In 2006 he was appointed Honorary Doctor of the Norwegian Academy of Music.
In recognition of his outstanding artistic achievements the Norwegian government granted him lifetime residency at the “Grotten” state residence, where he lived with his wife Rannveig Getz, situated in the grounds of the royal palace in Oslo. In 1997 Nordheim was appointed Honorary Member of the ISCM (International Society of Contemporary Music).
Aug 2010
