Voices from near and far

The programme for the 2024 Bergen International Festival continues to take shape: A total of 16 new events are released on Valentine’s Day.

Saxophonist and composer Bendik Giske is coming to Håkonshallen with DJ Barker from the legendary Berlin club Berghain. Together, they have created completely new music that will have its world premiere in the medieval stone hall.

From Tromsø in the north of Norway, comes the duo Bel Canto, hailed as pioneers in Arctic electronica. Their new album, Radiant Green, is released this spring and will be the first new music from the duo in two decades. 

International voices

The artist Dillon is also based in Berlin, but was born in Brazil. She is known for the delicate tone of her voice and creates electronic music with the passion of a singer-songwriter.

Erland Cooper has been called 'nature’s songwriter' and chose to let the forces of nature have a direct impact on his latest album: He hid the music somewhere in the Orkney Islands, and it took several years before it was found.

’Along with some brilliant musicians, I will try to perform it live again, exactly as it sounds when it comes from the earth,’ says the artist, who creates music with traces of ambient, Celtic folk music, and classical music.

Fatoumata Diawara has collaborated with artists such as Flea (Red Hot Chili Peppers) and Damon Albarn (Blur, Gorillaz) and is, according to herself, the first Malian woman to play electric guitar.

Her music ranges from jazz to afrobeat with influences from both West Africa and Western pop. The lyrics deal with racism, women's oppression, and African identity and are sung in the Malian language, Bambara.

Forgotten voices

In the mini-concert series Forgotten Voices at Siljustøl, the Festival highlights two composers from Bergen: Inger Bang Lund and Borghild Holmsen.

Both were considered great talents, travelled the world for further studies in compostion, and succeeded both in Norway and internationally. Today, their music is rarely performed. The concerts in Sæverud's living room will be a unique opportunity to delve into these lesser-known works from Norwegian music history.

Magnus Lagabøte, or King Magnus VI of Norway, is far from forgotten, even though he lived in the 13th century. This year marks the anniversary of his life's work, the National Law, which has helped shape Norwegian society for centuries.

The 750th anniversary of Magnus Lagabøte's National Law from 1274 is marked by a concert in Håkon's Hall with the Bergen Cathedral Choir and the folk music trio Østerlide, a tour of the Rosenkrantz Tower, and a church service in Bergen Cathedral, where Magnus Lagabøte is buried.

New voices

The Festival is also working with artists who are in the process of establishing themselves as professional and developing their unique expression.

In this year's programme, you can hear brand new music by the Bergen composer Jo David Meyer Lysne, and you can experience young composers and string players in a master class programme with cellist Amalie Stalheim and composer Therese Birkelund Ulvo.

Next week, the free and family programme for this year's festival will be launched.

With a FiB Fordel membership, you can buy tickets to all events now. Public onsales for newly launched events start on Monday 19 February.