We’re so happy to have worked with fantastic composer Raven Chacon, last time at Borealis 2021. He won the Pulitzer Prize last year – being the first Native American composer to win this prize. Now he has been featured in American news channel PBS, and it’s so fun to see the mention of his piece Chorale performed by multiple Hurtigruten cruise ships in Bergen!
Marshall Documentary
In October we premiered the mini documentary ‘The Moon Is Down: The Status Quo Is My Enemy’ at Cinemateket i Bergen. The film features Marshall Trammell – our Artist in Residence from 2020–2022, who held workshops, conversations and multiple concerts during his time in Bergen – the last one at Borealis 2022. Now the documentary is up online!
The Borealis Delegate Programme
Are you a Norwegian based cultural professional? If so, we invite you to apply to our International Delegate Program during Borealis 2023! The program consists of formal and informal networking, in addition to concerts, talks, sound installations and other musical experiences from the festival in March. It is a meeting place where international experts, curators and music critics can meet professionals in the Norwegian music field and is run with the generous support of Music Norway. The programme runs from 17–19 March. Deadline for 6 February.
Photo: Thor Brødreskift/Borealis
We’re gathering memories!
Send us your memories! 2023 will be the 20th anniversary of Borealis, which means 20 years of memories from all of you who have attended the festival over the years. Whether you’ve been to one concert or fifty, whether you’ve volunteered or come from far away – for the anniversary year, we want to know about your Borealis experiences! Send us pictures, video, text, emoji, memes – we take it all!
The perfect Christmas gift!
Have the Christmas presents been a bit of an afterthought this year? Do you have a friend, grandparent or sibling who has way too many things? Then we have the perfect gift to give!
The Early Bird Borealis Pass is the cheapest way to experience the festival! With a Borealis Pass, you can buy tickets to all of our events for just NOK 50 ✨
The Early Bird Borealis Pass costs between NOK 200-400, but note that there are a limited number of Early Bird Borealis Passes on sale – and the price is only available until 1 January.
Seminar: Tryggere Rom
For 2 years we have taken part in the project Tryggerere Rom together with Hulen, Brak, EKKO, Østre, Bergen Kunsthall, coordinated by Bergen Municipality. Last week, the project’s first phase culminated in a seminar that was open to everyone in Bergen’s club and cultural scene.
There were lots of fantastic input and important insight into what it means to be a minority in society and in culture, and how we can all do better to include and open up our festivals, spaces, parties and concerts.
The seminar showed that there is a lot to do, and that there is a need to continue talking together across organisations. Thanks to Ragni Stoltenberg and Bergen Municipality for coordinating the project, and to our colleagues for important and good conversations during these two years.
Photo: Åsa Osmundsen Opedal
Picture description: Alexander Petersen (NHFU Sørvest, Norges Handikapforbund, BIFF), Irem Muftuoglu (Borealis), Eivind Breilid (Balansekunst), Vegard Moberg (Brak) and Tine Rude (moderator, Bergen Kommune) in discussion and reflection.
Volunteers wanted: Apply now!
Join us in creating a beautiful anniversary festival in Bergen 15–19 March! We need workers in many different fields, from cooking, driving, decorating, ticket sales, information and more. We are looking for people of all ages, with different backgrounds and interests. If you are into culture and curious about how a festival is made, volunteering is super rewarding!
Trees and mechanical instruments
We’re happy to announce the dynamic string duo Vilde&Inga, who will present commissioned works with two of Scandinavia’s most exploratory composers: Lo Kristenson and Jo David Meyer Lysne. During the Borealis 2023, they will perform intimate and responsive works that create new possibilities for string instruments and the sound they create.
Borealis Listening Club X Nordnes Sjøbad with Niilas
Welcome to another exclusive Borealis Listening Club, this time in collaboration with our favorite venue; Nordnes Sjøbad! As always in the Listening Club, we will be presenting experimental sounds and music from artists that break barriers and and in addition there will be a reunion with electronic music artist Niilas, and his commissioned piece “Musikk for sjøbading”, which has morfed and turned into the album “Hydrophane”. Niilas is appearing as our Borealis Listening Club guest to talk about music, play songs he loves, and perform his album.
Read an in-deep interview with Luke Drozd
During the autumn we will publish in-depth interviews with all the participants in this year’s Borealis Ung Komponist. We have had a chat with artist and cultural producer Luke Drozd! Luke has slowly integrated sound in his artistic practice, often utilising spoken word elements in performances and recordings. This will be his first time composing a piece that is not at all being carried by his own voice within the performance!
