Much has been learned about early music in Norway from physical artifacts found during archaeological digs. These include instruments such as the lur. Viking and medieval sagas also describe musical activity, as do the accounts of priests and pilgrims from all over Europe coming to visit St Olav's grave in Trondheim.
Johan Halvorsen was a Norwegian composer, conductor and violinist.
In traditional Sámi music songs and joiks are important musical expressions of the Sámi people and Sámi languages. The Sámi also use a variety of musical instruments, some unique to the Sámi, some traditional Scandinavian, and some modern introductions.
Johan Severin Svendsen was a Norwegian composer, conductor and violinist. Born in Christiania, Norway, he lived most of his life in Copenhagen, Denmark.
The Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra is a Norwegian orchestra based in Bergen. Its principal concert venue is the Grieg Hall.
Vajas was a Sámi-Norwegian band with Kristin Mellem on violin and vocals, Nils Johansen on guitars, computers and synthesizers and the famous Sami ethnic yoiker Ánde Somby on vocals and yoik. The band debuted in 2003 and toured internationally. In October 2006 Vajas released its first album, Sacred Stone. The band is currently working on getting the release distributed in Germany and the UK with other countries to follow. In 2009, a minor YouTube fad involved remaking or lipsynching to the song "Sparrow of the Wind".
Ingor Antte Ailu Gaup, or in correct Sámi spelling: Iŋgor Ántte Áilu Gaup, artist-name Ailloš is a Sámi actor, composer, and folk musician. He is the brother of professor and politician Ole Henrik Magga and visual artist Josef Halse.
Eldbjørg Hemsing is a Norwegian violinist. She started her career at the age of 11. She premiered several works by Tan Dun in her solo debut with the Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra. She is the younger sister of the Norwegian violinist Ragnhild Hemsing and currently lives in Berlin.
Svante Henryson is a composer, cellist, bass guitarist and double bassist, active within jazz, classical music, and hard rock.
Ruth Bakke is a Norwegian organist and composer. She was born in Bergen, Norway, and studied at the Bergen Music Conservatory and the University of Oslo. She continued her studies on a Fulbright grant at Converse College in South Carolina, Texas Lutheran College, University of Redlands in California, and Washington State University.
Johan Sara Jr. born 1963 is a Sami musician and a central Sami composer, producer, teacher, arranger, actor and performer of contemporary music with roots in the Sami tradition.
Ola Kvernberg is a Norwegian jazz musician known for his virtuosic string swing violin playing and his international performances. He is the son of traditional musicians Liv Rypdal Kvernberg and Torbjørn Kvernberg, and the brother of traditional musicians Kari Kvernberg Dajani and fiddler Jorun Marie Kvernberg, and grandson of the fiddler and traditional music composer Peter L. Rypdal. Kvernberg studied classical violin from the age of nine, and won 3rd prize in a great classical violin competition in Italy when he was fourteen.
Trygve Henrik Hoff was a Norwegian singer, composer, songwriter, and writer. He was a teacher at Buskerud folkehøgskole (Heimtun) for many years when he lived in Darbu in Øvre Eiker Municipality. For some time, Trygve Hoff was the conductor of the Berlevåg Mannsangforening, based in Berlevåg Municipality.
Nordlysprisen is an annual award presented by the newspaper Nordlys during the opening concert at Nordlysfestivalen in Tromsø, Norway. Nordlysprisen is awarded to a performing musician or composer, that through their work in Northern Norway has excelled at a high artistic level and therefore contributed to highlighting the region's musical life in a positive way. In 2013 the prize-winner was awarded 50 000 Norwegian kroner.
Harald Heide was a Norwegian violinist, conductor, and composer.
Alf Erling Kjellman was a Norwegian jazz musician, organizer and composer.
Mikkel Mathis Gaup is a Sámi Norwegian film and stage actor. He is best known for his acting debut in the film Pathfinder, directed by his uncle Nils Gaup, and he has also appeared in a number of other productions, including Breaking the Waves and The Kautokeino Rebellion.
Kaare Sæther was a Norwegian violinist, philharmonic member, and violin teacher.
Så som i himmelen is a 2018 musical with music and lyrics by Carin Pollak and Fredrik Kempe and book by Kay Pollak, Edward af Sillen and Carin Pollak. The story is based on the 2004 Swedish movie As It Is in Heaven by Kay Pollak. It tells the story of Daniel Daréus, a successful and world renowned conductor whose life aspiration is to create music that will open people's hearts. After suffering heart attack, he travels back to his hometown of Norrland in the far north of Sweden. Though resistant at first, he begins working with the local choir. They in return help him fix his outlook on life through community spirit and the love of music.
Marja Helena Fjellheim Mortensson is a South Sámi singer from Engerdal in Innlandet county, Norway. She won the 2018 Spellemannprisen in the folk/traditional music category for her album Mojhtestasse – Cultural Heirlooms, and in 2021 for Raajroe – The Reindeer Caravan.
