Composer in residence
Kode’s composer in residence
Benedicte Maurseth er Kodes huskomponist i 2026 (Foto: Agnete Brun).
Each year, Kode selects a new Composer in Residence as part of a project aimed at elevating the recognition of contemporary composers.
The composer in residence for 2026 is Benedicte Maurseth (b. 1983).
As the custodian of the homes of composers Edvard Grieg, Harald Sæverud, and Ole Bull, Kode plays a significant role in preserving a vital aspect of Norway's musical heritage. Through the appointment of a Composer in Residence, we aim to spotlight the contributions of contemporary composers who are currently active.
The program was launched in 2021, and Benedicte Maurseth is the sixth Composer in residence at Kode. Earlier composers in residence have been Wolfgang Plagge (2021) and Rebecka Sofia Ahvenniemi (2022), Ørjan Matre (2023), Andreas Gundersen (2024) and Anna Berg (2025).
An art of the moment
Throughout the year, the Composer in Residence has the creative freedom to influence the museum's program by designing distinctive concerts and events inspired by their own ideas and visions. Additionally, the composer is tasked with composing an entirely new work, which is scheduled for a premiere towards the year's end.
For Christian Grøvlen, director of the composers’ homes, cultivating contacts with music that is being written today is a powerful tool for communicating the importance of the homes in his charge.
“It is all too easy to adopt a retrospective gaze when dealing with music, but music is an art of the moment. It captures people’s feelings and thoughts, here and now. Contemporary music can help us to understand who we are now and who we have been”
Kode’s Composer in Residence 2026
This year’s Composer in Residence at Kode is Benedicte Maurseth (b. 1983) from Eidfjord, Norway.
Maurseth is an internationally acclaimed folk musician, communicator, improviser and composer, and is one of our most exciting and versatile musicians. Her starting point for her year at Kode is ‘spontaneous composition’ (brådiktning) – music in the moment.
This challenges what it means to be a creative artist and the public will be invited to various concerts and conversations where the composer will present her work across several genres.
‘We continue to highlight contemporary music and the importance of creating in the moment. Maurseth is a unique performer with deep roots in folk music, a connection she shares with our composers Ole Bull and Edvard Grieg. Improvisation is all about making room for the unexpected and the spontaneous – we look forward to following her throughout the year,’ says Christian Grøvlen.
