Written responses from audience members that was present at the Meditations on Listening concert in Stavanger Concert House 13th of august 2025
Translated by Halldis Rønning and published with permission from each person.
".. Impressions from last night's evocative event in Stavanger Concert House, the final presentation of Halldis Rønning's PhD project on other ways to conduct music, including allowing herself to be conducted by the sea. At one point, Rønning sits down on the conductor's stand to listen to the orchestra playing a piece by Arvo Pärt. Is there such a thing as a new feministic ethics of conducting? I believe so.
(Birgitta Haga Gripsrud, professor of Health Humanities and Psychosocial Studies at the University of Stavanger, excerpts from an instagram post.)
"The concert was in itself a great statement about thinking outside the box in the classical world."
(Nils Henrik Asheim, composer and organist, quote from email correspondance)
"Rønning's exploratory approach to conducting becomes evident during the performance. Her movements articulate the musical content through a broader vocabulary than that of traditional conducting. One might describe this as conducting taking on a function of accompanying gesture, without undermining its primary role as communicative gesture. The tension between accompanying and communicative gestures allows the conducting to be experienced as responsive, listening, and dialogic. This, in turn, evokes a sense of wonder as to whether the movements originate from the score or from Rønning's own embodied reaction to the music.
I would argue that this expanding conducting practice gives the conductor a clearer voice and stronger personal influence in performance- something that in turn enhances the sense of authenticity.
Expanded and embodied listening may contribute to a perception of conducting that is more personal.
Conductors, of course, have their own distinctive traits and approaches, yet they rarely challenge the conventions of "how one appears professional" within the classical music tradition. Professionalism might be a key concept in this context, since it is often positioned in opposition to the personal. However, it is entirely possible to be both personal and professional - a balance I find clearly exemplified in Rønning's conducting.
(...)
A multimodal approach to musical mediation may help make music accessible to a wider audience, by addressing different ways of listening and sensing music. The use of art film and choreography integrated in the orchestral performance creates compelling connections to the listener's musical perception.
Music becomes more accessible and relevant when listeners are given the opportunity to interpret and construct meaning on multiple levels - something that is important to both the "connoisseur" and the "amateur".
This may be especially relevant within experimental art music and contemporary music practices."
(Alma Engelsvoll, Performing Arts student (Didactics). Written reflection by email and translated into english by Rønning with help from AI)