For this research project to be 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 the 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). Bouncing thoughts, ideas, and experiences with other significant colleagues in the field was immensely beneficial for the project’s progress. Björn Nyman contributed to the discourse on material with experience of mopane clarinets in solo concerts and orchestra. Andreas Sundén, with his vast orchestral expertise in Europe’s top orchestras, provided insight into the equipment needed at this level. John Kruse’s experience in symphony and opera orchestras and an extensive recording catalogue supplied feedback at the project’s start to inform its design. Christian Leitherer was instrumental in illuminating period clarinet methodology and inspiring the repertoire for my period instrument performances. Eric Baret and Buffet Crampon have enabled the research on material affordances, providing valuable information on the industry's thoughts and direction, and, not least, provided the instruments needed to achieve my artistic results.
The research project was also firmly rooted within the academic environment at the Grieg Academy. In addition to being part of the GAFFI research group for performance and interpretation, I have collaborated with many faculty members at the Grieg Academy. Hans Knut Sveen (former associate professor of cembalo), Torleif Torgersen (professor of piano), and Hilde Haraldsen Sveen (professor of song), in addition to fellow researchers Diana Galakhova (fortepiano) and Sergej Tchirkov (accordion), have collaborated in rehearsals and concerts. A series of six concert collaborations (one every semester) throughout the project explored different repertoires from the baroque period, leading to our time's music. Working closely with the other faculty and research fellows informed my practice and generated the artistic results. Being part of the research community at the Grieg Academy also gave insight into my colleagues’ projects and shaped my project's design.
The clarinet class, which I have taught since 2012, has also been part of the project. I have used many of my findings in practical pedagogical implementations. Many students followed my research presentations, giving them context for the methods I use in our lessons. My practical implementations in lessons have resulted in the students’ greater understanding of co-affordances and their influence on phrasing.
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). I also used a recording I made with the Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra of Mozart’s Clarinet Concerto in 2012 as a basis for comparison to my 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, and with the Iceland Symphony Orchestra, where I debuted the mopane clarinets in orchestra. These provided valuable, real-world practice-based artistic research in rehearsals and concert situations.
For the project to have an international perspective, it was vital to present and get feedback from leading professional environments worldwide. I began with my current network at the time, partnering with key music institutions in the Nordic capitals, North America, and Asia. For the second year and onward, it was essential to venture outside my sphere of connections to broaden the project for differing views. This involved venturing to Australia, South America, and Africa, bringing the project to six continents. Having presented across all these countries and continents has given the project immense feedback and validated the topic of affordances’ influence on phrasing. It has been formidable to connect with the global field of clarinet performance and discuss phrasing with professors and students with vastly varied backgrounds. The commonality of music and phrasing has been shown to be quite universal across languages and cultures, demonstrating the significance of artistic research.
This research project has been presented at 42 (with more planned) 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. (planned for October 2025)
Danish National Academy of Music, Odense, Denmark (planning for November 2025)
School of Music and Performing Arts ESMAE, Portugal (planned for November 2025)
Barratt Due Institute of Music, Norway (under planning)
ClarinetFest 2025 Incheon, South Korea (planned for July 2026)