Meet the musicians: Jesper Kramer-Johansen
interview
L
Live Klassisk9. December 2023
Welcome to our interview relay with musicians from the classical music scene! Today we have the pleasure of presenting Jesper Kramer-Johansen, who was nominated by Anders Krøger in the previous round. Jesper is a tuba player in the The Norwegian Air Force Band in Trondbheim. Here he shares his thoughts on classical music and recommends upcoming concerts for both new and experienced concertgoers!
Name, instrument and profession
Jesper Kramer-Johansen, tuba player in the The Norwegian Air Force Band in Trondheim. I also play cimbasso in the New Norwegian Big Band.
What are you doing at the moment?
Right now I'm on a small tour of Trøndelag, playing Swinging Christmas with the Norwegian Air Force Band, Lars Erik Gudim and Julie Dahle Aagård. Very fun!
Most overrated composer or piece?
As a military musician, I'm maybe breaking a taboo here, but I'm not very enthusiastic about marches...
And on the opposite end... what music should everyone really get to experience?
There's so much! But Tchaikovsky's symphonies were what opened my ears to classical music.
Your last big concert experience - what made it so special?
In June last year, I got a call from the Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra. They wondered if I could come at one day's notice as a substitute for the substitute. That's when you feel alive. I didn't know the orchestra beforehand and had no idea what I was getting myself into. It turned out that the concert was with the artist Laleh at Ullevi Stadium, for over 30,000 people. It's very nice music, and with an orchestra it was absolutely magical. The sight of tens of thousands of cell phone "lighters" is something I'll never forget.
How did your journey to becoming a musician start?
I started playing baritone in Ullevål School's music band when I was in third grade. In secondary school I took the step up to tuba, but it wasn't until music school at Foss vgs that I really got hooked. The revue scene deserves a lot of the credit for that. It was a taste of life as a musician, and I got a real taste for it. But it wouldn't have happened without my teacher, Frode Amundsen.
Do you have any role models? Is there anyone who has been particularly motivating or inspiring for you?
My tuba teacher at the Norwegian Academy of Music for 40 years, Torbjörn Kvist, meant an enormous amount to me during the four years I had with him. Not only did he educate virtually all the country's tuba players, but he built an environment where everyone knows everyone, and we bring out the best in each other.
Do you have any advice for "new listeners" who are curious about classical music and don't go to concerts very often?
Classical music, and especially in concert, is the antidote to the constant hunt for quick gratification from social media, and really everywhere around us. I think we need that. Let yourself disappear into the music, without external distractions. I think the level of conflict in the world would go down considerably if more people went to concerts.
Any upcoming concerts you'd recommend?
First, a bit of shameless self-promotion: My group in the New Norwegian Big Band, or the new NSB if you will, is playing a Christmas concert with Elin Rosseland and Christian Aftreth Eriksen at Parkteatret in Oslo on December 18. The atmosphere at our Christmas concerts is always impeccable!
And I would encourage everyone to go to a concert with their local defense corps. There are five of them scattered around Norway, and they are all world-class. Forget what I said about marches! I guarantee you'll have every prejudice you have about marching bands thrown back at you.
Clap between movements: for or against?
For! Unleash your enthusiasm. I recently played Tchaikovsky's Sixth Symphony in Sweden and Austria. The educated Austrian audience knew that it wasn't over after the third movement and sat in their seats. The Swedish audience, on the other hand, broke out into spontaneous cheers. The orchestra took that energy into the last movement. What a fantastic feeling!
Finally, who would you like to challenge to take over the baton?
I'd like to pass the baton to Gabriel Boezi Gjerpe.