Bergen International Festival abroad

‘By bringing Norwegian music to the world, we reach new audiences, share elements of our cultural heritage, and create connections, collaborations and cultural exchange across borders‘, says Festival Director Lars Petter Hagen about the concerts abroad.

Performances at the Palace

The concert series Musik på Slottet has invited the Bergen International Festival to Stockholm. They produce classical concerts held inside the palace which are open to the public. 

In the grand hall at the Royal Palace, violinist Johan Dalene will perform alongside pianist Peter Friis Johansson, as well as the Saphir Quartet, who appeared at the Bergen International Festival in 2025. 

Swedish-Norwegian Johan Dalene won the prestigious Carl Nielsen Competition in 2019 and was part of the Crescendo mentoring programme at the Festival. In 2022, he was named Young Artist of the Year by Gramophone and was praised in Le Monde as someone who ‘makes his Stradivarius sing like a master‘. 

The Norwegian Saphir Quartet has been acclaimed for its joy of playing and expressive performance style. In 2024, they won the Fischoff Chamber Music Competition in the USA. ‘An exciting ensemble worth following,’ wrote Aftenposten about the young quartet. At the 2025 Festival, they performed in both Troldsalen and Håkonshallen. 

The concert programme will feature music by Edvard Grieg and Amanda Maier-Röntgen, and is presented by the Bergen International Festival in collaboration with Musik på Slottet. Tickets are available via the Musik på Slottet website. 

Crossings 200

The 200th anniversary of organised Norwegian emigration to North America will be celebrated with a public event at Pier 16 in New York on 9 October, featuring royal guests and several Norwegian contributions. 

In 1825, the vessel Restauration sailed from Stavanger to New York with 52 Norwegian emigrants on board. This voyage is considered the beginning of Norwegian emigration to North America. This year, the journey is being recreated with a replica of the ship, which will be welcomed in New York with music from the Ragnhild Hemsing Trio, among others. Hemsing will be performing on none other than Ole Bull’s Hardanger fiddle. 

Ragnhild Hemsing was the Festival Musician in 2024 and has helped generate international interest in Norwegian folk music traditions. The renowned violinist is joined by trumpeter Mathias Eick and double bassist Steinar Raknes, and together they perform folk jazz rooted in traditional Norwegian music. 

As the Festival Musician in 2024, Hemsing performed no fewer than seven times during the Festival, including in the popular new production of Peer Gynt and with Mathias Eick and Mats Eilertsen at Bullahuset. 

The commemoration in New York is free and open to all. The performance by the Ragnhild Hemsing Trio is presented in collaboration with the Bergen International Festival. 

Bergen International Festival

Next year’s Bergen International Festival takes place from 27 May to 10 June 2026. Some tickets are already on sale, and more events will be announced throughout the autumn. Subscribe to the festival’s newsletter for early access to ticket sales and the latest programme updates.