For this research project to be consumable and relevant to my field of orchestral playing, it was essential to have a broad perspective. Having spent 15 years as principal clarinet in two of the most prominent Norwegian orchestras and performing regularly as guest principal clarinetist with various orchestras across the Nordic countries, Europe, Asia, and Australia, this research project was the culmination of my oeuvre, aiming to make a significant contribution to my field.
A peer reference group has been associated with the project, contributing to a dialogue regarding materials, methods, and artistic results. This reference group included Björn Nyman (professor at NMH), Andreas Sundén (professor at KMH), John Kruse (associate professor at DKDM), Christian Leitherer (period clarinet specialist), and Eric Baret (acoustic advisor at Buffet Crampon).
The research project was also firmly rooted within the academic environment at the Grieg Academy. As well as being part of the GAFFI research group for performance and interpretation, I have collaborated with many of the faculty at the Grieg Academy (Hans Knut Sveen (former associate professor of cembalo), Torleif Torgersen (professor of piano), Hilde Haraldsen Sveen (professor of song)) in addition to my fellow researchers (Diana Galakhova (fortepiano) and Sergej Tchirkov (accordion)). This was through a series of six concert collaborations (one every semester) throughout the project, exploring different repertoire starting in the baroque period, leading to the music from our time. The clarinet class, which I have been teaching since 2012, has also been a part of, using many of my findings in practical pedagogical implementations.
My former orchestras and colleagues have also been connected with collaborations using the baroque clarinet (Siri Hilmen-baroque cello and Chien-Yu Chu-baroque violin from the Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra) and the use of a recording I made with the Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra of Mozart’s Clarinet Concerto in 2012 as a basis for comparison to phrasing evolution. Practical research implementations in orchestra have been with the Norwegian Opera Orchestra performing Mozart’s Così fan tutte on boxwood and grenadilla clarinets in separate performances. The Iceland Symphony Orchestra was also the debut of the mopane clarinets in orchestra, providing valuable real-world feedback in rehearsals and concert situations.
For the project to have an international perspective, I began with my current network at the time, partnering with key music institutions in the Nordic capitals, North America, and Asia. This was to present and collect feedback from leading professional environments worldwide. For the second year and onward, it was essential to venture outside my sphere of connections to broaden the project and get differing views. This involved venturing to Australia, South America, and Africa, bringing the project to six continents. The project has been presented at 47 leading institutions listed below in chronological order:
2022
Norwegian Academy of Music, Norway
Royal Danish Academy of Music, Denmark
YST Conservatory, Singapore
Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts, Singapore
Kuala Lumpur Performing Arts Center, Malaysia
UCSI University, Malaysia
University of Stavanger, Norway
2023
Colburn School, U.S.A.
University of Southern California, U.S.A.
Iceland University of the Arts, Iceland
Royal College of Music Stockholm, Sweden
Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Norway
University of Agder, Norway
Conservatorium Maastricht, The Netherlands
Melbourne Conservatorium of Music, Australia
University of Western Australia, Australia
Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts, Australia
Sydney Conservatorium of Music, Australia
Hong Kong Academy of Performing Arts, China
Royal Academy of Music Aarhus, Denmark
2024
Boston University, U.S.A.
University of Denver, U.S.A.
Northern Illinois University, U.S.A.
University of Gothenburg, Sweden
Conservatoire de la Ville de Luxembourg, Luxembourg
ClarinetFest 2024 Dublin, Ireland
Bratislava Academy of Performing Arts, Slovakia
São Paulo State University, Brazil
University of São Paulo, Brazil
Federal University of the State of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
University of Brasília, Brazil
National University of the Arts, Argentina
Conservatorio Superior de Música «Manuel de Falla», Argentina
Arctic University of Norway, Norway
Conservatorio Superior de Música de Murcia, Spain
2025
Stellenbosch University, South Africa
University of Cape Town, South Africa
ClarinetFest Trondheim, Norway
Malmö Academy of Music, Sweden
Estonian Academy of Music and Theatre, Estonia
Real Conservatorio Superior de Música de Granada, Spain
Crusell Music Festival, Finland
San Francisco Conservatory of Music, U.S.A
School of Music and Performing Arts ESMAE, Portugal
Danish National Academy of Music Odense, Denmark
Barratt Due Institute of Music, Norway
ClarinetFest 2025 Incheon, South Korea