June 2008: Sigmund Hjelset was born in Molde, Norway, and studied the piano mainly at the Royal Academy of Music in London, where he was awarded many prizes, and at the New England Conservatory in Boston under Leonard Shure. He made his debut as a solo pianist in Oslo in 1975, and has since performed all over Europe, as well as in Japan, USA and Israel. He has taken special interest in accompanying singers, and is much in demand for…
June 2008: Sigmund Hjelset was born in Molde, Norway, and studied the piano mainly at the Royal Academy of Music in London, where he was awarded many prizes, and at the New England Conservatory in Boston under Leonard Shure. He made his debut as a solo pianist in Oslo in 1975, and has since performed all over Europe, as well as in Japan, USA and Israel. He has taken special interest in accompanying singers, and is much in demand for song recitals, recordings and radio and TV. This has brought him to halls like Concertgebouw in Amsterdam, Wigmore Hall in London, Schauspielhaus in Berlin, Theatre Chatelet in Paris, Rachmaninov Hall in Moscow, Bunkakaikan in Tokyo and festivals like the Bergen International Music Festival, where he appears regularly. In 2006 Hjelset and Vollestad received the Edvard Grieg Award. Hjelset divides his time between concerts and his position as professor of piano and accompaniment at the Norwegian Academy of Music in Oslo.