Terje Tønnesen

Terje Tønnesen was born in Oslo, and made his début at the age of 17, an event described in the Norwegian press as ‘so dazzling that it was almost unprecedented’. After studies with Max Rostal in Switzerland, he returned to Norway where he founded the Norwegian Chamber Orchestra in 1977. He remains the artistic director of that orchestra, but is also the leader of the Oslo Philharmonic Orchestra, as well as artistic director of Camerata Nordica in Sweden.

Tønnesen has won numerous international prizes and has also received the Grieg Prize and the Norwegian Music Critics Award. Maintaining a flourishing international career as soloist and chamber musician, he has made numerous recordings and also given many premières of works written for him. Terje Tønnesen has also written music for various theatre productions. He enjoys collaborating with performers in different genres, such as jazz, rock and folk music, and also with actors. In 2013, he and the Norwegian Chamber Orchestra were awarded the prestigious Lindeman Prize and in 2015 Terje Tønnesen was made Knight of the Royal Norwegian Order of Saint Olav.