Welcome to our interview relay with musicians from the classical music scene! Today, we are delighted to present Are Sandbakken. He works as a professor of chamber music at the Norwegian Academy of Music. Here, he shares his thoughts on classical music and recommends upcoming concerts for both new and experienced concertgoers!
Name, instrument, and profession?
Are Sandbakken, viola and violin, professor of chamber music at the Norwegian Academy of Music.
What are you currently working on?
I am preparing a major lecture: "Edvard Grieg in 200 Minutes" to be presented at the University of Bergen on January 19th, as part of the so-called "Aarebrot Lecture Series."
Most overrated composer or piece?
One of the Norwegian composers (born in 1931) who was considered the most influential from the 1960s until around the year 2000 received undeserved attention, often at the expense of other composers.
And on the opposite end… what music should everyone experience?
Everyone should be familiar with Beethoven’s greatest works, such as his 3rd, 5th, and 9th symphonies!
Your last great concert experience – what made it so special?
My last major experience was Peer Gynt at the National Theatre. Herbert Nordrum was outstanding in the role of Peer, and Ragnhild Hemsing's music, inspired by Grieg’s Peer Gynt, went straight to the heart. I can’t imagine anything more authentic and expressive than Ragnhild Hemsing’s Hardanger fiddle performance.
Which living composer inspires you the most, and why?
Lasse Thoresen is undoubtedly the living composer I admire most. I find his music both soulful and intellectually well-crafted. I appreciate that his music is rooted in Norwegian tradition, and I also admire Lasse as an outstanding educator.
Can you recall a specific moment or experience that made you decide to become a musician?
When I was 12, I had the opportunity to play Beethoven’s Pastoral Symphony in an amateur orchestra. When the horns entered after the string introduction, it felt as though an emotional space opened up inside me. From that moment, I knew this was my world.
Do you have any role models? Has anyone been particularly motivating or inspiring for you?
I have many role models and feel I can learn from many of the musicians I meet. However, the most important mentor in my life has been the string pioneer Leif Jørgensen. I also find Grieg and Svendsen to be immense sources of inspiration. Even though I never met them (they passed away 60 years before I was born), it feels as though I know them personally.
Do you have any advice for "new listeners" who are curious about classical music but don’t often attend concerts?
Advice for new listeners: Read a bit about the piece you’re about to hear for the first time so that you can place it in context. Let your imagination run free as you listen!
Any upcoming concerts you’d recommend?
I am particularly excited to lead an orchestral concert at Lindemansalen at the Norwegian Academy of Music on February 16th. We will perform top-tier Romantic music: Schumann’s Piano Concerto with my favorite pianist, Christopher Park, as the soloist, and Johan Svendsen’s magnificent Symphony No. 2.
Also, the Oslo String Quartet’s Christmas concert in December. It is always full of humor, atmosphere, and quartet playing at the highest level.
Lastly – who would you like to pass the baton to?
I’d like to pass the baton to my former colleague in the Oslo String Quartet, Øystein Sonstad. He is one of the finest musicians I know.
Photo: Kristine Gabrielsen, University of Bergen
