Helge Iberg

Biography

Helge Roald Iberg (born 1954) was educated at the University of Oslo in music in music, history of ideas, and religious studies. He holds a master's degree in composition from the Norwegian Academy of Music Iberg began playing the piano at the age of 3-4. As an adult, he has navigated between the scores of contemporary classical music and modern jazz. His music has been commissioned and performed by Norway's leading soloists and symphony orchestras. Iberg has written instrumental concertos for pianist Christian Ihle Hadland, violinist Terje Tønnesen, trumpeter Ole Edvard Antonsen, and violinist Atle Sponberg. In 2019, he completed the work Songs from the Planet of Life, a Concerto Grosso for symphony orchestra, five soloists, and two narrators. The work is inspired by Gustav Mahler's Das Lied von der Erde. His new chamber opera, Great Expectations, is based on a piece by the internationally renowned playwright Fredrik Bratberg. Regarding the work Songs From the Planet of Life (2019), Guy Richards in Klassisk Musikkmagasin: "Nevertheless, it is Iberg's music that is so seductive, its sparkling textures a constant delight expressed in rather calm movements, but always with musical interest across a vast range." For the release of this work, he received the Spellemann Award 2019 in the TONO Composer category. As a jazz musician and improviser, Iberg has produced several CDs and collaborated with performers such as Bendik Hofseth, Sidsel Endresen, and Nils Petter Molvær. NRK's jazz critic Erling Wicklund wrote this about the piano album Standards and Vanguards: "A standing challenge to musicians and listeners around the world, whether you come from the ranks of standard songs or avant-garde: Help yourself to the top shelf, make the music your own, everything is possible, everything is allowed, we live in a fantastic time – seize it, play and hear the unheard!" Helge Iberg has published two culturally critical books and about 40 essays and articles in journals and newspa

Bio from Wikipedia