Edward Gardner Leading the Edward Grieg Choire Into a New Era

Music & culture

Feb 23

Who: Edward Grieg Kor

What: Music and culture

Where: Bergen

Project period: 2021-2023

Web: Grieg korene

Edvard Grieg Korene A / S in collaboration with the Grieg Foundation are delighted to announce that Edward Gardner will be the new Chief Conductor for Edvard Grieg Kor for the next three seasons. Such a long-term artistic alliance between an independent professional choir and an orchestra and opera conductor at the highest international level represents something completely new in Norwegian music life

"This is a fantastically exciting development for Edvard Grieg Choir and reflects the tireless commitment and the quality of performances we have seen from the singers in recent years. For Bergen as a city of culture, this will mean another feather in the cap," says Simon Kirkbride, General Director of Edvard Grieg Korene A / S.

Edvard Grieg Vokalensemble

Edvard Grieg Choir (EGK) is Western Norway's leading professional choir, consisting of the eight singers in the Edvard Grieg Vocal Ensemble, in addition to eight regular guest singers. In recent years, Edvard Grieg Kor has achieved recognition both in Norway and internationally, and performs regularly in concerts and performances for the Bergen National Opera and the Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra.

Edvard Grieg Korene is a vital resource to our main collaborative partners, Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra and Bergen National Opera, for whom we provide and manage all of their choral requirements. In addition to these commitments EGK is a highly valued resource for Festspillene and KODE.

During the last 6 years EGK has developed a complete development and educational programme focusing on developing young talented singers from the earliest possible age right through to the beginnings of a professional career. The vital key to the success of our innovative korpyramide structure is the continued development and activity of the two professional choirs at the top of the pyramide.

EGK’s development programme’s primary focus is to encourage and inspire young talent. We achieve this by giving the young singers the opportunity to work with our professional singers across all aspects of our activity.

Whilst this work is extremely important it can only be made possible because we have such highly qualified, trained and talented professional singers in Edvard Vokalensemble and Edvard Grieg Kor.

These Professional singers also need to be challenged and continue to improve and develop their considerable skills throughout their careers.

The fruits of this constant development can then in turn be passed down to the younger singers in EGK’s junior choirs but crucially it also serves to inform and improve the quality of the performances at the professional level, and not least the work we do with our collabortive partners who are then able to demand more and more from us every season in terms of activity and quality.

We therefore need to continually strive for the next level of excellence and achievement professionally.

There is no more effective way for us to achieve excellence than to work alongside the best and most accomplished artists in the world, and to grasp every opportunity to do that whenever possible.

This formidable combination of Edvard Grieg Kor under the baton of Maestro Edward Gardner, made possible by the generous support of Grieg Foundation will be a very attractive prospect for the artistic programming of National and International venues, promoting further the richness, broadness and enviable quality of Bergen’s cultural footprint, and firmly roots Edvard Grieg Kor as one of the major and key actors in Norways cultural sector.

«Edvard Grieg Kor is central to the music-making in Bergen; ever since I’ve been in the city I’ve been struck by the brilliance, versatility and passion of the group. It’s a great privilege to have a role with these wonderful singers, am I look very much forward to a wide-ranging exploration of choral music!” Says Edward Gardner.

"This is an exciting and unique opportunity we at the Grieg Foundation look forward to participating in. Edward Gardner is an exceptionally talented and inspiring conductor. We are sure that this initiative will not only lift Edvard Grieg's choir to new heights. It will resonate and be a joy and inspiration for the entire music scene in Bergen, "says board chair Elna-Kathrine Grieg,

Edward Gardner is Chief Conductor of the Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra and the London Philharmonic Orchestra and has previously been music director at both the English National Opera and the Glyndebourne Touring Opera. He is one of the most sought-after conductors of our time, with regular engagements at major opera houses such as the Metropolitan Opera in New York and at festivals such as the BBC Proms.

This incredibly rare opportunity to have one of the worlds most accomplished and most sought after conductors leading EGK’s professional singers will firmly anchor EGK’s reputation in the field of classical choral singing and can only serve to further elevate Bergen’s status and enviable reputation in the cultural sector both Nationally and internationally.

Grieg Foundation: This new artistic endeavour has been made possible by generous support from the Grieg Foundation of 1.5 million Norwegian Kroner over the next 3 seasons. The Grieg Foundation, in partnership with Edvard Grieg Kor, will promote choral performances of the highest quality to a much wider audience. “All of us at Edvard Grieg Korene are incredibly grateful to the Grieg foundation for their extraordinary support and shared belief in the importance of this exciting new opportunity, both for EGK and indeed for musical life here in Bergen!” Says Simon Kirkbride