Kristiansand, historically spelled Christianssand and Christiansand, is a city and municipality in Agder county, Norway. The city is the fifth largest and the municipality the sixth largest in Norway, with a population of around 112,000 as of January 2020, following the incorporation of the municipalities of Søgne and Songdalen into the greater Kristiansand municipality. In addition to the city itself, Statistics Norway counts four other densely populated areas in the municipality: Skålevik in Flekkerøy with a population of 3,526 in the Vågsbygd borough, Strai with a population of 1,636 in the Grim borough, Justvik with a population of 1,803 in the Lund borough, and Tveit with a population of 1,396 in the Oddernes borough. Kristiansand is divided into five boroughs: Grim, which is located northwest in Kristiansand with a population of 15,000; Kvadraturen, which is the centre and downtown Kristiansand with a population of 5,200; Lund, the second largest borough; Søgne, with a population of around 12,000 and incorporated into the municipality of Kristiansand as of January 2020; Oddernes, a borough located in the west; and Vågsbygd, the largest borough with a population of 36,000, located in the southwest.
Manfred Eicher is a German record producer and the founder of ECM Records.
Rolf Undsæt Løvland is a Norwegian composer, lyricist, arranger, and pianist. Together with Fionnuala Sherry, he formed the Celtic-Nordic group Secret Garden, in which he was the composer, producer, and keyboardist. He began composing at an early age and grew up studying at the Kristiansand Music Conservatory, later receiving his master's degree from the Norwegian Institute of Music in Oslo. Løvland has won the Eurovision Song Contest twice, composing the songs "La det swinge" in 1985 and "Nocturne" in 1995 alongside Secret Garden, resulting in Norway's first two titles.
Arne Joachim Bendiksen was a Norwegian singer, composer and producer, described as "the father of pop music" in Norway.
Dagfinn Koch is a musician.
Øystein Sevåg is a Norwegian composer and keyboardist. His music touches on classical, New Age and jazz styles.
Christian Wilhelm Rynning-Tønnesen is a Norwegian businessperson. He has spent most of his career in Statkraft, first holding various positions from 1992 to 2005, and then as CEO since 2010. He was CEO of Norske Skog from 2006 to 2010.
Ann-Kristin Olsen is a Norwegian jurist and civil servant. Known as the first female chief of police in Norway, and the first female Governor of Svalbard. She served as County Governor of Vest-Agder from 1998 until her retirement in 2015.
Erik Hillestad is a Norwegian record producer and lyricist.
Beat for Beat is a Norwegian musical variety show that airs every Friday on NRK1. It has been on the air since 1999, and consistently ranks in the top of Norwegian viewing figures. It was hosted by Ivar Dyrhaug from the beginning to 2015. From 2016 it was, and is hosted by Atle Pettersen.
Velvet Belly is a Norwegian pop band from Kristiansand.
Bjørn Ole Rasch is a Norwegian artist, composer, arranger and producer. He is a professor of popular music at the Agder University College. With his wife, Annbjørg Lien, he runs the Kongshavn Studios in Kristiansand.
Even Helte Hermansen is a Norwegian guitarist, known from several orchestras playing experimental jazz.
Tom Stræte Lagergren, professionally known as Matoma, is a Norwegian DJ and record producer.
Hilde Hefte is a Norwegian jazz singer.
Magnus Loddgard is a Norwegian conductor, pianist and vocal coach, based in Berlin.
Håkon Berge is a Norwegian contemporary composer, conductor and arranger.
Rolf Arvind Gupta is a Norwegian contemporary composer and conductor.
Eva Margot born Johansen was a Norwegian painter, active from the 1970s until her death in 2019. Her work is largely inspired by Norwegian nature and legends. She covers a diverse spectrum of styles: figurative, realism, symbolism, abstract.
