Antonio Bibalo

Antonio Bibalo (1922-2008) was born in Trieste in Italy in 1922. He studied piano in his native town and received his diploma from the conservatory of Trieste in 1946. In 1953 he went to London to study with Elisabeth Lutyens, a pioneer in the field of twelvetone music in England and an excellent teacher. In the summer of 1956 Bibalo went on holiday to Larvik in Norway. He settled down, and has lived there ever since. He became a Norwegian citizen in 1967. Bibalo has a great and varied production. An important part of his music is written for the stage: operas and ballets. He had his international breakthrough with the opera "The Smile at the Foot of the Ladder" (1962) based on Henry Miller’s novel; the world premiere in Hamburg in 1965 was a great success. Even greater was the success of the opera "Miss Julie" (1975) based on August Strindberg’s play. For the opera of Kiel Bibalo in 1981 made the opera "Ghosts" based on the play by Ibsen. In 1990 his opera "Macbeth" had its world premiere in Oslo during the ISCM World Music Days. The rest of his music is mainly instrumental. He has written two piano concertos and two symphonies. For his own instrument, the piano, he has written a number of sonatas and a suite. In the field of chamber music "Autunnale" (1968), "The Savage" (1983), 2 wind quintets and a string quartet can be mentioned. Bibalo’s impact on Norwegian musical life has been of great importance, first and foremost because of his contribution to the Norwegian repertoryof considerable works for the stage, but also because he represents a universal – though profoundly personal – style independent of stylistic modes. In recognition of his contribution he was in 1991 proclaimed Knight of the Order of St. Olav, first class. He was awarded Lindemanprisen in 1992.