Åse Hedstrøm facts for kids

Åse Hedstrøm, born on April 17, 1950, in Moss, Norway, is a talented Norwegian composer. She writes modern classical music.

About Åse Hedstrøm

Åse Hedstrøm studied music at the Institute of Sonology in Utrecht, Netherlands. She also studied composition at the Norwegian State Academy of Music. Later, she continued her studies in Stockholm with composer Sven-David Sandström.

After finishing her studies, Åse received a special grant in 1987. This allowed her to focus on composing music full-time. She won awards for her music, like "Work of the Year" from the Norwegian Society of Composers. She won for her chamber music piece Right After in 1985. She also won for her string quartet Sorti in 1989.

Besides composing, Åse has helped organize the music scene in Norway. In 1978, she became the director for NyMusikk. This is the Norwegian section of an international music group. From 1983 to 1987, Åse was the music coordinator for Henie Onstad Kunstsenter. She helped arrange many modern music concerts and festivals there.

Later, from 1994 to 1998, Åse was the director and artistic leader for the Ultima Oslo Contemporary Music Festival. This is a big festival for new music. From 1999 to 2002, she led the Stockholm Concert Hall and the Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra. She has also been a member of many important music boards. This includes being the chairwoman for MIC Music Information Centre Norway. She also chaired the board of TONO from 2009 to 2011. From 2012 to 2016, she chaired the board for the Norwegian Society of Composers.

Åse Hedstrøm is also a member of Sweden’s Kungliga Musikaliska Akademien. This is a royal academy for music.

Her Music

Åse Hedstrøm has written many different pieces of music. Her works include pieces for full orchestras and smaller groups of instruments.

Selected Music Pieces

• Faser for orchestra (1979/80)
• Through for mezzo-soprano, trombone, percussion and tape (1983)
• Chain for piano solo (1983)
• Anima for orchestra (1983/84)
• Right after for flute, clarinet, violin, cello and piano (1984/85)
• Nenia for orchestra (1985/86)
• Grata for flute, violin, viola, cello, harp and piano (1986)
• Sorti for string quartet (1987)
• Saisir for chamber orchestra (1987/88)
• Signs and pictures for piano solo (1989)
• Sug for percussion quartet and symphonic wind orchestra (1989/90)
• Flow for marimba solo (1990)
• Bewegt for sinfonietta (1990)
• Voci for sinfonietta (1991)
• Flores for piano and string orchestra (1992)
• Cantos for orchestra (1993)
• …e quindi uscimmo a riveder le stelle for orchestra (1994)
• Touche for double bass solo (1996)
• Favola for orchestra (1997)
• Terra for sinfonietta (1998)
• In memoriam for recorder solo (2004)
• Vsprs for violin, viola and cello (2007)
• In Solitude', for Company for violin solo (2008)
• Runner’s Blues for symphonic wind ensemble (2012)
• Imprint for viola bastarda (2016)

Recordings of Her Music

Many of Åse Hedstrøm's works have been recorded. These recordings let people listen to her music.

• Elisabeth Klein, Mysterious Mountains, Norwegian Piano Music, Works by Bakke, Fongaard, Strømholm, Hedstrøm, Haug, Slettholm, Mortensen, Maj Sønstevold. Features her work: Chain (1983).
• Cikada, Plays: Wallin, Hedstrøm, Ore, Persen. Features her work: Sorti (1987).
• Oslo Sinfonietta, Christian Eggen, Plays: Berge, Thommessen, Wallin, Hedstrøm, Nordheim. Features her work: Saisir (1988).
• Hans-Kristian Kjos Sørensen, Open percussion , Works by Xenakis, Cage, Hedstrøm, Donatoni, Wallin, Kjos Sørensen. Features her work: Flow (1990).
• Bjørn Ianke - The Contemporary Solo Double Bass, vol. 3, Works by Nordheim, Hedstrøm, Xenakis, Hellstenius. Features her work: Touche (1996).
• Åse Hedstrøm Flow, Oslo Sinfonietta / Christian Eggen, dirigent/Håkon Austbø, piano/Tomas Nilsson, marimba - Features her works: Saisir (1988) for sinfonietta, Chain (1983) for piano, Flores (1992) for piano and string orchestra, Voci (1991) for sinfonietta, Flow (1990) for marimba, Bewegt (1990) for sinfonietta (1998).
• BIT20 Ensemble, Nordic music for Chamber Orchestra, Works by Sørensen, Hauksson, Hedstrøm, Mossenmark, Heininen, Tanaka. Features her work: Terra (1998).