Meet the musicians: August Schieldrop
interview
C
Concert Creator3 min read|28. April 2025
Welcome to our interview relay with musicians from the classical music scene! Today we are delighted to introduce August Schieldrop. He works as a tuba player. Here he shares his thoughts on classical music and recommends upcoming concerts for both new and experienced concertgoers!
Name, instrument and profession?
August Schieldrop, tuba, soloist and chamber musician
What are you working on at the moment?
Skogstad tuba concerto!
Most overrated composer or piece?
Hayden
And at the other end... which music should everyone really get to experience?
Music by Aleksandr Scriabin, he wrote some masterpieces!
Your most recent great concert experience - what made it so special?
I play a lot of concerts, and I also go to hear a great many, so it's hard to choose. But some of my favourite projects are the concerts I do with Ensemble Forte, the chamber group I play in! I'm already looking forward to the summer concerts :)
Which living composer inspires you most, and why?
Harald Ramm Haugland. He is both the most talented composer I have met, and one of the most talented musicians I have played with. I think he will come to be regarded as one of the best Norwegian composers of all time.
Can you recall a single event or experience that made you want to commit to becoming a musician?
When I realised I wanted to become a musician, I actually already knew that it was always what I wanted to be. I have always loved practising, and playing with others.
Do you have any role models? Has anyone been especially motivating or inspiring to you?
Tine Thing Helseth, Jens Bjørn-Larsen, and Christian Lindberg
Do you have any advice for “new listeners” who are curious about classical music and don't go to concerts very often?
Go to a live concert! Classical music is much better live!
Any upcoming concerts you would recommend?
I'll be playing at the gala concert for the Brass Band European Championships at the concert hall in Stavanger on 10 May. I'd be hard pressed to find a better audience than that, so I'm really looking forward to this!
Minister for classical music in Norway for a day - what would you do?
Allow the serving and drinking of beverages during concerts.
Tell us one thing not many people know about you?
That I think boiled potato is the most boring thing in the world. Give me baked, fried, deep-fried or any other way of preparing potato instead.
What do you like to do to relax when you're not playing or practising? Do you have any special hobbies?
Love playing tennis, chess, and other games.
What misconceptions do you think people have about classical music or the musicians who perform it?
That classical music is a genre. Classical music stretches back hundreds of years and consists of many different genres. Classical music is more of an umbrella term for all the art music genres than a genre in itself.
Concert attire: dressed up or casual?
Dressed up!
Clapping between movements: for or against?
FOR!!
Finally - who would you like to challenge to take over the baton?
Ludvig Gudim!