John Persen facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
John Persen
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| Born | 9 November 1941 Porsanger, Norway
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| Died | 12 December 2014 (aged 73) |
| Nationality | Norwegian |
| Occupation | composer |
| Awards | Edvardprisen, |
John Andreas Persen (born November 9, 1941 – died December 12, 2014) was a famous Norwegian composer. A composer is someone who writes music. John grew up in a Sami family in a place called Ráigeadja in Porsanger, Norway. His family followed a special religious movement called Laestadianism.
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Who Was John Persen?
In 1968, John Persen moved to Oslo, the capital of Norway. He went there to study music. At the same time, he helped start the Norwegian Academy of Music. This is a very important school for musicians in Norway.
John was a student leader for the new music academy from 1969 to 1971. He also led the UNM music festival from 1970 to 1973. From 1973 to 1976, he was the leader of Ny Musikk. This group promotes new and modern music.
Standing Up for Artists
John Persen was a key person in something called Kunstneraksjonen 74. This was a group of artists who worked together to get better rights. He was also a strong supporter of "New Music." This is a style of music that explores new sounds and ideas.
Together with another composer, Olav Anton Thomessen, John helped create Norsk Musikkinformasjon. This organization shares information about Norwegian music. John was on its board many times in the 1970s and 1980s.
Starting the Ultima Festival
John Persen also started the Ultima Oslo Contemporary Music Festival. He was its first leader from 1990 to 1994. This festival is a big event for modern music in Norway. It brings together artists and audiences from all over the world.
John Persen's Music
John Persen wrote many different kinds of music. Two of his most famous works are the opera Under kors og krone (meaning Under Cross and Crown) from 1985. An opera is a play where the words are sung to music. He also wrote an orchestral piece called Over kors og krone. An orchestral piece is music written for a large group of instruments.
Both of these works tell stories about the Kautokeino rebellion. This was an important event in Sami history that happened in 1852.
Awards and Recognition
John Persen received several important awards for his music. In 1999, he was given the Lindemanprisen. He also won the Edvardprisen twice. This is a big award for composers in Norway. He was also made an honorary member of the Norwegian Society of Composers. This shows how much his work was valued by other musicians.
