Egil Hovland - Biography
Egil Hovland (born October 18th 1924) is one of Norway's most productive contemporary composers, and also, perhaps, the one whose works are most frequently performed. He has written symphonic works, concerti for various instruments, chamber music, choral works, music for children and a great number of sacred works of varying dimensions, including a church opera, church ballets and music to modern biblical plays.
He gradulated as a church musician from the Oslo Conservatoire. Since 1949 till he reached the year of retirement he held the position of organist and choir-master at the church og Glemmen in the city of Fredrikstad. He always was in arranging courses and concerts and has been an active member of various organizations, comittees and councils. He studied composition with the late Bjarne Brustad in Oslo, with Vagn Holmboe in Copenhagen, with Aaron Copland in Tanglewood (USA) and with Luigi Dallapiccola in Florence.
As a composer, he has immersed himself in various styles - Norwegian Romanticism, Gregorian chant, neo-classicism, dodecaphony, aleatory and serial music - before returning to a highly simplified romanticism using elements of many different styles to express himself.
Egil Hovland has taken a very active part in the updating of the liturgical books of the Church of Norway, and he has also contributed as a composer to the standard collections of congregational hymns, choral works and organ accompaniments used by that Church. His songs have also been adopted by various other religious communities in Norway and abroad.
He has won several significant musical awards and in 1983 was made a Knight of the Royal Order of Saint Olav in recognition of his services to Norwegian music both as composer and performer.
Headlines:
Himmelkvad
Celebrated vocal ensemble Nordic Voices is currently out on its promo tour for their new outing ‘Himmelkvad’, a critically acclaimed album presenting Norwegian composer Lasse Thoresen’s unique vocal universe. MIC Norway takes a closer look at the cutting-edge vocal ensemble and ground-breaking composer.
I was the devil in my younger years
Late Feb sees Enslaved heading out on a month-long European tour. MIC Norway hooked up with Enslaved’s Ivar Peersen to talk about musical cross pollination, inspirational sources, humour and his fascination for singer-songwriter Stein Torleif Bjella.
