Grete Pedersen
Die norwegische Dirigentin Grete Pedersen zählt zu den renommiertesten Dirigenten der internationalen Chorszene. Pedersen ist seit 1990 Chefdirigentin des renommierten The Norwegian Soloists‘ Choir, dessen CD Einspielungen u.a. mit dem ‚Choc de la Musique‘ und ‚Prix d’Or‘ von Diapason ausgezeichnet wurden.

Grete Pedersen ist eine gefragte Gastdirigentin und arbeitete mit Chören und Orchestern wie dem Eric Ericson Kammerchor, Schwedischen Rundfunkchor, Netherlands Radio Chor, Netherlands Chamber Choir, Danish National Vocal Ensemble und Choir, Rundfunkchor Berlin, MDR Rundfunkchor, Chamber Choir Ireland, Pro Coro Canada, Tokyo Cantat, World Youth Choir, Freiburger Barockorchester, Stavanger Symphony, Slovenian Philharmonic u.a. zusammen. Mit dem Norwegian Soloists‘ Choir wirkte sie 2017/18 im begeistert aufgenommenen Projekt „150 Psalmen“ beim Utrecht Early Music Festival, in New York und Brüssel mit.

Kommende Höhepunkte sind Einladungen beim Swedish Radio Choir, RIAS Kammerchor, Latvian Radio Choir, Odense Symphony & Chorus, Netherlands Chamber Choir, Chamber Choir Ireland, Eric Ericson Chamber Choir, Estonian Male Choir, Orquesta y Coro de la Comunidad de Madrid, Slovenian Philharmonic & Choir, Tokyo Cantat etc.

Grete Pedersens Name steht für Produktionen und Inszenierungen mit breiter und innovativer Stilvielfalt. Neben Uraufführungen von A Cappella Werken liegt der Fokus der norwegischen Dirigentin zunehmend auf Aufführungen von Oratorien.

Bei BIS Records sind zahlreiche Aufnahmen von Grete Pedersen und dem Norwegian Soloists‘ Choir mit Werken von Per Norgard, Kaija Saariaho, Iannis Xenakis, Helmut Lachenmann, Alfred Janson, J.S. Bach, Knut Nystedt, Alban Berg, Olivier Messiaen, Fartein Valen, Anton Webern, Johannes Brahms, Franz Schubert, Edvard Grieg und Norwegische Volksmusik u.a. erschienen. Für das Album mit J.S.Bach Motetten mit dem Norwegian Soloists‘ Choir und Ensemble Allegria erhielt Grete Pedersen den Diapason d’Or 2018. Das jüngste Album zusammen mit dem Norwegian Soloists‘ Choir The wind blows mit Musik von Alfred Janson wurde vom Gramophone Magazin zur 'CD des Jahres 2018' gekürt.

Grete Pedersen absolvierte ihr Studium an der Norwegischen Staatlichen Akademie für Musik in Oslo und studierte Chorleitung bei Eric Ericson und Orchesterleitung bei Kenneth Kiesler. Sie hat aktuell eine Professur für Chorleitung an der Norwegischen Staatlichen Akademie für Musik und ist außerdem eine gefragte Dirigentin für Meisterkurse.

Darüber hinaus gründete Grete Pedersen den Oslo Chamber Choir, den sie von 1984 bis 2004 leitete.

Im November 2019 wurde Grete Pedersen zum Ritter 1. Klasse des Königlich Norwegischen St. Olavs Orden für ihre Verdienste und herausragende Leistungen in der Kunst ernannt.

Ensemble Allegria
Allegria (ital.) means a merriment and enjoyment, and indeed it was the pleasure of playing together that led a group of music students to launch the orchestra in 2007. Ensemble Allegria is comprised of around 20 musicians between 20-26 years of age. Since its beginning, the orchestra has been managed independently by its own members, with the Norwegian Academy of Music playing a significant supportive role. Its permanent concertmaster and artistic director is Maria Angelika Carlsen. In addition to its own concerts, Ensemble Allegria has performed at a number of festivals, among them, Bergen International Festival, Hardanger Music Festival, and the Ultima Oslo Contemporary Music Festival. It has collaborated with internationally known soloists, such as Tine Thing Helseth, Christian Ihle Hadland, Martin Fröst, and Arve Tellefsen, and it has engaged in projects in collaboration with the Norwegian Soloists’ Choir, the Oslo Cathedral Choir, and Oslo Sinfonietta. In the autumn of 2012, Ensemble Allegria received the Statoil Talent Award for classical music.

The Norwegian Soloists’ Choir
is an innovative young ensemble, steeped in a rich history. As one of Europe's leading chamber choirs, they perform spectacular concerts in Norway and abroad, in concert halls and churches, in caravans and in abandoned factory venues. The Norwegian Soloists' Choir consists of 26 hand-picked, professional singers who have a tremendous ability to blend their voices, resulting in a highly distinctive choral expression. Along with its celebrated artistic leader Grete Pedersen, the choir achieves ambitious artistic goals through constant development.

Concerts featuring the Norwegian Soloists' Choir give listeners a chance to experience new compositions, folk music and classics from Nordic and international choral literature – often in unexpected combinations. The choir organises its own series of concerts, in addition to appearing at leading festivals in Norway and abroad. The choir has a number of critically acclaimed albums and distinctions to its credit.

Since its inception in 1950, the Norwegian Soloists' Choir has carved out a unique position in Norwegian music. Knut Nystedt conducted the choir for no fewer than 40 years before Grete Pedersen took over in 1990. In autumn 2019, Yuval Weinberg will raise his baton as the choir's first guest conductor.

In 2018, the album Bach: The Motets received the prestigious French prize "Diapason d'or de l'année". This was the third time the choir has been awarded the Diapason distinction. The choir's recording of Meins lebens licht was nominated for a Spellemann Award, often referred to as the Norwegian equivalent to a Grammy. The choir has also been named "Performers of the Year" by the Norwegian Society of Composers.

In 2009, as the first choir in the Nordic countries, the Norwegian Soloist Choir was inducted into Tenso, an exclusive network of Europe's foremost chamber choirs. The choir is also a member of NTO (the Association of Norwegian Theatres and Orchestras), the Norwegian Choir Association and the Ultima Foundation.