Torstein Aagaard-Nilsen

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Torstein Aagaard-Nilsen
Born (1964-01-11) 11 January 1964 (age 61)
OriginNorway
Genres orchestra, chamber ensemble, choir, wind band and brass band
OccupationComposer
Website Official website

Torstein Aagaard-Nilsen (born 11 January 1964) is a Norwegian contemporary composer.

Contents

Life

Aagaard-Nilsen was born in Oslo and grew up in Kabelvåg on Lofoten in northern Norway. From 1986 to 1990, he studied at the Bergen Conservatory of Music (now known as the Grieg Academy) and at the University of Bergen. [1] From 1990 to 1994, he worked at the Bergen Conservatory as a teacher of contemporary classical music. Furthermore, he was leader of the Autunnale-festivalen - (Music Factory and Autunnale), also in Bergen.

In 1992 and 1993, he arranged and composed for the Forsvarets Stabsmusikkorps Vestlandet - Norwegian Army Band, Bergen (NABB), writing, among other works, Arctic Landscape. In this period Aagaard-Nilsen wrote many works for wind band and brass band. [2]

As a composer, he has written for orchestra, chamber ensemble, choir, wind band and brass band. Works that exemplify Aagard-Nilsen's focus on narrative and visual aspects in a nearly impulsive form include Fabula I and Fabula II (1996), Sinfonietta (1998) and The Season of Blue Lights (2008) commissioned by BIT20 Ensemble. A stronger focus on expressive elements in Aagard-Nilsen's output is evident in works such as Pierrot's Lament (Concerto for Euphonium and Orchestra), premiered in 2001 with the Lahti Symphony Orchestra. The trumpet concerto Blue Phrases (2007), the sinfonietta The Season of Blue Light and quartet Blue Fragments (2008) are additional examples of Aagard-Nilsen's expressive focus; while the orchestral work Boreas Sings (2012) represents a new direction in which a spectrum of colours and dancing rhythms become evident. 2014 saw his orchestral work Boreas Blæs (2014) premiered by the Norwegian Arctic Philharmonic Orchestra at the opening ceremony of Stormen, Bodø's concert hall. [3]

In 2016, Aagard-Nilsen received the Norwegian Music Publishing Association's Annual Award for his work Dirty Dancing, commissioned and premiered by the Christiania Blåseensemble in 2015. [4]

Compositions

For orchestra

For wind band

For brass band

For choir

Vocal works with orchestral or instrumental accompaniment

Cantatas and masses

Piano

Chamber music

Discography

References

  1. Biography, Allmusic.com. Accessed 6 March 2024.
  2. "Bio from Aagard-Nilsen's own website". torsteinaagaardnilsen.no. Archived from the original on 20 December 2016. Retrieved 9 December 2016.
  3. "Bio from MIC Music Information Centre Norway". listento.no. Archived from the original on 20 December 2016. Retrieved 9 December 2016.
  4. "Ballade.no on the 2016 Norwegian Music Publishing Association's Annual Award". ballade.no. 16 March 2016. Archived from the original on 11 September 2016. Retrieved 9 December 2016.