Norway has produced a lot of internationally successful black metal bands, but now one of them has caused problems for a popular concert venue in Oslo. An American rapper abruptly cancelled a concert there this week, to protest the music hall’s earlier booking of the band he branded as “nazi.” Newspaper Dagsavisen was among Norwegian […]
Violin sale led to big tax bill
November 7, 2018
It was no surprise that Norwegian performing artists like Kygo, Alan Walker and members of the legendary band a-ha would show up on the latest tax lists with substantial fortunes. The biggest fortune of them all, however, was held by 81-year-old violinist Arve Tellefsen. “I sold my violin for 80 million kroner,” Tellefsen explained to […]
Pop singer Aurora strikes a chord
September 14, 2018
SPECIAL FEATURE: Aurora Aksnes is a 22-year-old Norwegian pop singer who’s been steadily gaining international popularity in recent years. Calla Duffield is a 14-year-old fan and aspiring journalist from College Station, Texas, who got a chance to interview the singer known simply as “Aurora” before a concert in Liverpool this summer. Here’s the unabashedly starstruck […]
‘Øya’ festival struck harmony with fund
August 9, 2018
Hopes for strength and a more harmonic future were largely behind the decision by leaders of Norway’s largest music festival, “Øya,” to let a large US investment fund take it over. The acquisition offers more proof that festivals have become big business. News of the acquisition was released just as Øya was opening for its […]
Festival summer hot and challenging
August 8, 2018
Norway’s summer music festival season was reaching its crescendo this week. From “OverOslo” in June to the country’s largest festival “Øya,” which opens this week in Oslo, the festivals represent multi-million-kroner business but are also under pressure, from the high compensation demanded by performers to the neighbours who don’t like seeing their local parks and […]
Marathon music marked Grieg gala
June 15, 2018
Norway’s most famous composer, Edvard Grieg, was being celebrated on the 175th anniversary of his birth Friday with a marathon program on Norwegian Broadcasting (NRK) due to run into the weekend. A large collection of his unpublished letters were also being released as the country hailed the man who helped put Norwegian music on the […]
Nesbø recovering at local hospital
June 8, 2018
Jo Nesbø, Norway’s multi-talented artist and best-selling author, had to be admitted to a local hospital this week following an “acute illness.” It forced cancellation of the concert he planned to take part in with his band Di Derre in Skien, Telemark County, this weekend, but he was reportedly recovering on Friday. Telemarksavisa was the first […]
‘Norwegian Wood’ festival cancelled
May 23, 2018
Norway’s traditional but troubled music festival “Norwegian Wood” has been cancelled this year, after an attempt to revive it stranded because of poor ticket sales and what its new owner views as an aversion to risk. Henning Thoresen took over the festival that was held every June at the Frogner Park since 1994. It made […]
Tono reports Tidal to the police
May 15, 2018
Songwriters are fuming and the organization charged with taking care of their rights has now gone to the police, filing a formal complaint over how music streaming platform Tidal has allegedly manipulated its numbers for listening sessions. Not only has that allegedly inflated sessions and payments for top artists linked to Tidal’s owner, hip-hop mogul […]
Rybak takes his loss with a smile
May 13, 2018
At least Norwegian Broadcasting (NRK) won’t have to spend as much as NOK 150 million producing and hosting the Eurovision Song Contest next year. The money would have been found, but Alexander Rybak’s 15th-place finish in Saturday night’s final takes the strain off NRK, and him. “Now I’m just glad I can sleep in on […]
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