Tor Espen Aspaas

Tor Espen Aspaas (1971) is one of the most outstanding and versatile musicians of his generation in Norway. Aspaas has since 2006 been professor at the Norwegian Academy of Music in Oslo.

In addition to teaching he leads an extensive performing career as a soloist and chamber musician. Aspaas gained his postgraduate soloist’s diploma at the Academy in 1996 and gave a critically acclaimed debut recital in Oslo the following year. Since then he has performed at international festivals and in concert series, including several recital tours in the Nordic countries and the rest of Europe, USA and Asia. He has been engaged as a soloist by all the professional Norwegian symphony orchestras, and by many international ensembles in collaboration with conductors including Frans Brüggen, Vasily Sinaysky, Michel Plasson, Christian Eggen, Bjarte Engeset, Rolf Gupta and Arvid Engegård. Among the many grants and awards he has received are De Unges Lindemanpris 2004 and the prestigious Levin-prize 2005.

Aspaas has made several recordings, including a solo CD of Paul Dukas’ complete piano works which has received excellent reviews in the international press. His most recent solo recording, “Mirror Canon” (piano music from the First and Second Viennese Schools – Beethoven, Schönberg, Berg and Webern), was released in March 2008.

During the years 1999-2008 Tor Espen Aspaas founded and was Artistic Director of the annual chamber music festival Vinterfestspill i Bergstaden which takes place in the town of Røros, Norway, in March every year.

www.pianisten.no

March 2011