Hidden voices

On the International Women´s Day, we invite the public into the main hall at Siljustøl to lift the veil of one of the hidden voices in music history.

The Bergen-based composer Anne-Marie Ørbeck was a prominent composer in the 20th century. She distinguished herself as one of our foremost pianists and in the 1930s her "Concertino for piano and orchestra" was performed in Berlin. From the Second World War she lived in Bergen. In 1954, her Symphony in D major was performed with Harmonien, and a critically acclaimed event.

Since then, both songs and piano pieces came from her hand, but Ørbeck has now become an unknown name to most people.

At Siljustøl, we will get to know the song cycle "Vonir i blømetid", to lyrics by Hans Henrik Holm, who was engaged in illegal work during the occupation.

Mezzo-soprano Bettina Smith and pianist Signe Bakke perform Ørbeck's song cycle. Head of the Center for Grieg Research, Arnulf Mattes, talks to them about the songs, the lyrics and the time in which they were written (lecture in Norwegian).

About the artists

Bettina Smith is professor of classical singing at the University of Stavanger, where she leads the EU project "Voices of Women. Women composers in Art-Song”. In 2021, she published "The Artist's Secret" with Lieder written by nine "forgotten" female composers from four language areas. For this release she was nominated for singer of the year in Germany by Opus Klassisk.

Smith has studied at Bergen Musikkonservatorium, Royal Conservatory of Music The Hague, Holland and at the International Opera Studio of the Opernhaus in Zurich, Switzerland. She has performed at Opernhaus Zurich, Staatsoper Berlin and Muziekteater Amsterdam, among others, and is active as a chamber music, oratorio and romance singer with performances across Europe. She has received numerous awards at international competitions and received prestigious scholarships, such as the Herbert von Karajan Music Legacy.

Signe Bakke is a sought-after pianist and chamber musician, with a repertoire that ranges from baroque to contemporary music. The publication "Crystalline" (2011) with piano works by the Japanese composer Karen Tanaka has received international attention, and in 2022 she received the Spellemann prize in the class for contemporary music for the publication "Soccorsi" with compositions by Morten Eide Pedersen.

Bakke has for a number of years had a strong connection to Troldhaugen, where she has presented Grieg's music at numerous concerts and recorded several albums. Bakke has his education from the Bergen Music Conservatory, the Norwegian Academy of Music and is currently a professor of piano at the Griegakademiet in Bergen.

Arnulf Mattes, associate professor, is head of the Center for Grieg research, University of Bergen. The purpose of the center is to carry out research and research training related to Edvard Grieg's music, life and work, but also to have a broad view of West Norwegian music and musical life. The center has established exchange agreements with foreign research institutions, regularly invites visiting researchers and organizes conferences that contribute to creating an attractive international environment for young research talents at the center and the University of Bergen.

Practical information

The ticket includes entrance to the museum.

Duration: 75 minutes