Per Øien

Per Olav Øien (b.1937) has had an active career as flute soloist, orchestral and chamber musician and teacher for more than 45 years. Since 1985 he has been Professor of Flute at the Norwegian Academy of Music in Oslo. As a soloist and orchestra principal, he has performed with many of the world’s greatest conductors, including Sir John Barbirolli, Leopold Stokowski, Kirill Kondrashin, Arvid Janssons, Mariss Janssons, Herbert Blomstedt and Esa-Pekka Salonen.

Per Øien began playing the fl ute at the age of 13 and received his initial musical education at the Bergen Conservatory of Music, studying with fl utist Hans Stenseth. Other teachers of great importance were Ørnulf Gulbransen, Aurèle Nicolet, Julius Baker and Marcel Moyse.

At the age of 19, he was engaged by the Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra and played there until 1962, when he succeeded the legendary Alf Andersen as principal fl ute of the Norwegian Radio Orchestra in Oslo. Øien performed in the Radio Orchestra until 1967, when he gained the position as principal flute with the Oslo Philharmonic Orchestra. In 1985, he was appointed Professor at the Academy of Music by the Norwegian King Olav V.

In addition to orchestral work, Per Øien was very active as a soloist. He performed a great number of contemporary works, including several world premiers. Many Norwegian composers, among them Johan Kvandal, Øistein Sommerfeldt, Sparre Olsen, as well as the Canadian composer Peter Paul Koprowski, have dedicated their works to Per Øien. More than fifty Norwegian solo and chamber music works are recorded by Per Øien on BIS, SIMAX and The Norwegian Composers Society’s various labels.