Internationally-known as the pioneer of Ice Music, Norwegian percussionist Terje Isungset creates musical instruments—harps, drums, percussion, horns, and an “iceofone”—from blocks of natural ice harvested from rivers and lakes. He and his Ice Quartet allow the ice to “sing” in this innovative performance dedicated to nature with music from Isungset’s albums Winter Songs and Beauty of Winter.

PROGRAM

US Premiere

Ice Quartet:

Ice drums, ice percussion, ice horns, iceofone
Terje Isungset

Vocals, ice percussion & water
Amalie Holt Kleive

Ice harp
Sidsel Walstad

Ice bass
Arne Toivo Fjose

Production Team:

Video art & light design
Anastasia Isachsen

Sound Design
Mathias Grønsdal

Ice technician
Ina Charlotte Moe

Ice instrument design and creation
Bill Covitz & Terje Isungset

Snowflake—Terje Isungset

Inuit—Terje Isungset

Winter View—Terje Isungset

A Glimpse of Light—Terje Isungset

Sea Horn—Terje Isungset

Silent Folk—Terje Isungset

Tundra—Amalie Holt Kleive

Mellom Fjell—Terje Isungset

Julies låt—Julie Rokseth

Heim—Terje Isungset

Glacial Motion—Terje Isungset

Ocean Memories—Terje Isungset

The Wisdom of Animals—Terje Isungset

Arctic Ice Music—Terje Isungset

ARTISTS/CREATIVE TEAM

Terje Isungset from Norway is one of Europe’s most accomplished and innovative percussionists. Known worldwide since 1999 as the pioneer and inventor of ice music, Isungset has released 14 solo albums and is the founder of the Ice Music Festival Norway. Isungset is a nature percussionist and by crafting his own instruments from natural elements such as arctic birch, granite, slate, wood, and rams horn he has created his own world of sounds and music. In the book “Percussion Profiles” Isungset was listed among “25 of the worlds most creative percussionists.” His work is often described as innovative, visual, energetic, meditative, and different from any previously known concepts. Isungset has been commissioned to compose music for orchestras, choir, festivals, dance performances, theatre, and film (45 commissioned works). He has received the Norwegian “Jazz musician of the year” and “Composer of the Year” awards and the Egil Storbekkens Minnepris.

Amalie Holt Kleive: vocals, ice percussion and water. Amalie Holt Kleive is a versatile vocalist, composer, and musician. She has been touring both in Norway and abroad with artists Aurora and Metteson as well as with her own band and solo projects. www.facebook.com/amalieholtkleive

Sidsel Walstad: ice harp. Sidsel Walstad is a highly regarded musician, both as a soloist with her own projects and as a chamber musician. She is the solo harpist in The Norwegian Radio Orchestra (Kringkastingsorkesteret). One of the most thrilling characteristics of Sidsel’s artistic work is her ability to cross genres and to transcend and expand the traditional definition of harp music. http://sidsel.no

Toivo Fjose: ice bass. Bass player and composer with a master’s degree in performing jazz. He has been part of several music and theatre projects both as composer and performer. He has previously worked with artist Sigrid for many years and also works with his own musical projects.

Anastasia Isachsen: video art & light design. Anastasia Isachsen is a visual artist and a curator based in Oslo, Norway. She creates video art for projections and light art for various cultural projects. Isachsen’s work is internationally recognized for its stark visual style, contemplative and dynamic expression, and impeccable technical execution.  https://www.anastasiaisachsen.com/

Mathias Grønsdal: sound design. Mathias Grønsdal is an award-winning sound designer from Bergen, Norway. With over 15 years of experience in film, theater, and music production, Mathias is passionate about using sophisticated technology to convey emotions through sound and music. He has developed innovative techniques to create unique and unforgettable soundscapes.

Ina Charlotte Moe: ice technician. Ina Charlotte Moe is an experienced technician who has followed Terje Isungset’s ice music project for many years and is responsible for the ice logistics both on and back stage. This includes maintenance, repair and preparation of the ice instruments and handling the ice instruments before, during, and after concerts.

Bill Covitz & Terje Isungset: ice instruments. Bill Covitz (US) is an ice sculptor and engineer who has been working closely with Terje Isungset since 2010, both in Norway and abroad. Covitz is the owner of Ice Matters™, an ice carving company he established in 1999. He has won countless awards for his creations of ice.

PROGRAM NOTES

The inventor of Ice Music presents his brand-new Ice Quartet.

On stage you will find an ice harp, ice bass, ice percussion, ice drums, iceofone, and some ice horns along with a not-so-frozen singer.

Mr. Isungset is a touring drummer and composer. He started his work with ice music in 1999 and CNN has named him as “the world’s first and only ice musician.” Since then, he has been touring world-wide with his unique concept and has also been running his Ice Music Festival in Norway ever since 2006.

This ice concert is a tribute to the most important thing in the world: Nature itself. The amazing wildlife, the silence, the mountains and the life-giving water that we will actually find on stage in the shape of musical instruments for this concert.

Isungset has released a total of eleven albums of Ice Music. The music for this concert is based on his albums Winter Songs and Beauty of Winter. The audience will be surrounded by the beautiful sounds of ice. The instruments are made by the amazing award-winning ice carver Bill Covitz. Covitz has his ice workshop in the US and has been collaborating with Isungset for many years.

To find the magic, good-sounding ice in nature is the most difficult part of being an ice musician, because not all ice has sound. For this concert the iceofone bars have all been harvested from the Norwegian mountains during winter 2022.

SUPPORTERS

Arts Council Norway
Music Norway
City of Bergen
The Fund for Performing Artists (ffuk.no)

Terms and Conditions

All events and artists subject to change without prior notice.