Ketil Bjørnstad

Ketil Bjørnstad
Ketil Bjornstad at the 2004 Moers Festival in Germany
Background information
Birth name	Ketil Bjørnstad
Born	25 April 1952 (1952-04-25) (age 57)
Origin	Norway
Genres	Post bop, Classical
Occupations	Pianist, Composer
Instruments	Piano
Labels	ECM Records
Associated acts	David Darling

Ketil Bjørnstad (born 25 April 1952 in Oslo) is a Norwegian pianist and composer. Initially trained as a classical pianist, Bjørnstad discovered jazz at an early age and has embraced the emergence of "European jazz".

He is an artist on the ECM record label, but has also published some 20 books (predominantly novels) and a number of poetry and essay collections.

He has collaborated with other ECM artists, including cellist David Darling, drummer Jon Christensen, and guitarist Terje Rypdal.

Biography

Ketil Bjørnstad was trained as a classical pianist and studied with Amalie Christie and Robert Riefling, and also in London and Paris. He showed great talent at a young age, and won the title of "Youth Piano Master" in 1966 and 1968. When he was 16, he made his debut as a concert pianist with Béla Bartók's third piano concerto. Bjørnstad subsequently turned towards jazz and rock, in close cooperation with the guitarist Terje Rypdal, bassist Arild Andersen, drummer Jon Christensen and the American cellists David Darling. He has recorded more than 50 albumss, for labels which include Universal, Kirkelig Kulturverksted and ECM. He is particularly famous for the work "Living Patagonia" (1978), which features Cornelis Vreeswijk and Lill Lindfors. His most famous song is "Summer night by the fjord", sung by Ellen Westberg Andersen. Bjørnstad has released discs with a range of artists including Anneli Drecker, Kristin Asbjørnsen, Kari Bremnes, Lill Lindfors, Randi Stene, Lynni Tree Cream, Frøydis Armand, the Stavanger ensemble, Anders Wyller, Per Vollestad and Ole Paus. He is internationally known for his Universal and ECM recordings, including The Sea, duo recordings with David Darling and Terje Rypdal, Grace, with Anneli Drecker, Bendik Hofseth and Trilok Gurtu,Floatingwith bassist Palle Danielsson and percussionist Marilyn Mazur, which went to the top of the jazz charts in Germany, solo triple album Rainbow Sessions and The Light, with Randi Stene and Lars Anders Land, which led Gramophone magazine to compare Bjørnstad's songs to those of Leonard Cohen.

Bjørnstad has worked in recent years with the Swedish cellist Svante Henryson. In 2000 he wrote the millennium oratorio Himmel Rand (The edge of the sky), based on texts of the poet Stein Mehren. He wrote commissions for the Molde International Jazz Festival in 2007 and for the Bjørnson Festival in 2008. He also wrote "Coast Lines" for the Canal Street Festival in Arendal in 2007 and "Hvalenes Song" for Vestfold International Festival in 2009. His music has often been used by film directors, including Ken Loach and Jean-Luc Godard. As a pianist he has toured all over the world, and visited jazz festivals including those in Montreal, Shanghai, Taipei, Rome, Nancy, Frankfurt, Leipzig, London, Molde and Kongsberg.

Ketil Bjørnstad first appeared as an author in 1972 with the poetry collection Alone. He has published about 30 books in all, including poems, novels and biography. Among his earliest novels are Pavane and Bingo - a virtue of Essentials. His novel Oda!, which is based on the life of Oda Krohg is regarded as a reference work on the bohemian scene in Kristiania (Oslo before 1924), and sits alongside his biography of Hans Jæger. Mention must also be made of The story of Edvard Munch, which received recognition in Denmark, the UK and Germany. Among his other literary works are the critically acclaimed Villa Europe and the Victor-Alveberg trilogy, which consists of the novels Drift, Dream of the Sea and Road to Dhaka . Bjørnstad won the Riksmål prize in 1998 with Spiritual. The same year he wrote a satirical book about football, The journey to Gaul with Ole Paus. Mention must also be made of the millennium trilogy which comprises Fall, Ludvig Hassel's Tusenårsskiftet (Ludwig Hassel's Millennium) and Tesman.

Bjørnstad wrote the psychological thrillers The Custom Themes and Twilight. The events of the latter take place in the archipelago of Tvedestrand, where Bjørnstad lived in the 1970s and 80s. More recently, Bjørnstad wrote an award-winning trilogy about the young pianist Aksel Vinding. It consists of the novelsThe music,The River and Damen i Dalen (The Lady in the Valley).

Bjørnstad's literary breakthrough in Germany came in 2006 with Vindings Spiel (To the music) published by Suhrkamp / Insel. The influential critic Elke Heidenreich described the novel as "a perfect book" in her Lesen! program for ZDF, and it went straight into the bestseller list of Der Spiegel. The book was also Bjørnstad's literary breakthrough in France, and was awarded the Prix des lecteurs for 2008. To the Music is due to be published in English in 2009.

Bibliography

Ketil Bjørnstad in Stavanger 26. mars 2009.

Photo: Jarle Vines

• Alene out (poems, 1972)
• Closer (poems, 1973)
• Nattsvermere (novel, 1974)
• Kråker and fighters (novel, 1975)
• Pavane (novel, 1976)
• Winter Town (novel, 1977)
• The country on the other side (novel, 1979)
• Bingo! or: a virtue of necessity (novel, 1983)
• Oda ! (dokumentarroman, 1983)
• The personal motive (novel, 1985)
• We accuse! Treholtsaken and legal protection (Revised Edition, 1986)
• G-moll-balladen (dokumentarroman, 1986)
• Conversations with Lill (portrait interview, 1986)
• Oppstigning from the invisible (novel, 1988)
• Storm (novel, 1989)
• Twilightpossibilities (novel, 1990)
• Villa Europa (novel, 1992)
• The story about Edvard Munch (dokumentarroman, 1993)
• Euro(novel, 1994)
• Game! Ole Bull and Myllarguten (play in five acts, 1995)
• Blåmann. Music and lyrics by 20 years (1995)
• Drift (novel, 1996)
• Dream of the sea (novel, 1996)
• The road to Dhaka (novel, 1997)
• Spiritual (novel, 1998)
• Fall (novel, 1999)
• Ludvig Hassels tusenårsskifte (novel, 2000)
• Jæger (biography, 2001)
• The man who walked on Earth (2002)
• Tesmann (2003)
• Days and nights in Paris (2003)
• To the music (2004)
• Flammeslukeren. Ole Bull - a life. (2005)
• Liv Ullmann - Life Lines. (2005)
• Stories of vulnerability (Together with Catharina Jacobsen) (2007)
• The River (2007)
• Kolbein Falkeid - a close-up (2008)
• Damen i Dalen (novel, 2009)

Discography

• Apning (PHILIPS) (1973)
• Berget det Bla (PHILIPS) (1974)
• Tredje Dag (PHILIPS) (1975)
• Lise Madsen, Moses og de Andre (with Ole Paus) (PHILIPS) (1975)
• Finnes du Noensteds I Kveld (PHILIPS) (1976)
• Selena (PHILIPS) (1977)
• Musikk for en Lang Natt (with Sigmund Groven) (PHILIPS) (1977)
• Leve Patagonia! (rockopera) (PHILIPS) (1978)
• Svart Piano (PHILIPS) (1979)
• Tidevann (PHILIPS) (1980)
• Och Manniskor ser Igen (for Lill Lindfors) (1980)
• La Elva Leve! (KOLIBRI) (1980)
• Tredvearskrigen (30-ars Krigen) (with Stavangerensemblet) (PHILIPS) (1981)
• Engler I Sneen (PHILIPS) (1982)
• Bjornstad / Paus / Hamsun (text: Knut Hamsunddikt, 1859 - 1952) (HETE BLIKK / SLAGER) (1983)
• Aniara (rockopera) (feat. Lill Lindfors) (1983)
• Mine Dager I Paris (HETE BLIKK / SLAGER) (1984)
• Preludes Vol. 1 (1984)
• Manniskors makt (for Lill Lindfors) (text: Edith Sodergran, 1892 - 1923) (1985)
• Natten (with Sissel Ingri Andersen) (HETE BLIKK) (1985)
• Preludes Vol. 2 (1985)
• Three Ballets (Pianology / Ophelias arrival / Minota) (1986)
• Karen Mowat-Suite (1988)
• The Shadow (featuring Randi Stene) (text: John Donne, 1562 - 1626) (KKV) (1990)
• Odyssey (KKV) (1990)
• Rift (rockopera) (SLAGER) (1991)
• Messe for en Saret Jord (Mass for a Wounded Earth) (KKV) (1992)
• Losrivelse (for Kari Bremnes) (text: Edvard Munch, 1863 - 1944) (KKV) (1993)
• Water Stories (with David Darling) (ECM) (1993)
• Preludes (re-release) (HERMITAGE / SEPTEMBER) (1993)
• Pianology (re-release) (HERMITAGE / SEPTEMBER) (1994)
• Ophelias arrival / Minota (re-release) (HERMITAGE / SEPTEMBER) (1994)
• Svart Piano / Tredje Dag (re-release) (PHILIPS) (1994)
• For den som elsker (For Those Who Love) (with Froydis Armand) (text: Stein Mehren, 1935\u2013) (KKV) (1994)
• 30 Arskrigen (UNIVERSAL) (1994)
• Salomos Hoysang (for Lill Lindfors & Tommy Nilsson) (text: the Bible) (KKV) (1995)
• Sanger fra en Klode (for Per Vollestad) (GRAPPA) (1995)
• The Sea (with David Darling, Terje Rypdal, Jon Christensen) (ECM) (1995)
• Haugtussa (for Lynni Treekrem) (text: Arne Garborg, 1851\u20131924) (KKV) (1995)
• The Davidssalmer (with Anders Wyller, text: the Bible) (KKV) (1995)
• The River (with David Darling) (ECM) (1996)
• Reisetid (SEPTEMBER) (1997)
• Ett liv (with Lill Lindfors, text: Edith Sodergran, 1892 - 1923) (KKV) (1998)
• The Sea II (with David Darling, Terje Rypdal, Jon Christensen) (GRAPPA / ECM) (1998)
• The Rosenborg Tapes, Volume I—New Life (aka Nytt Liv) (TYLDEN & CO. / PHILIPS / SEPTEMBER) (1998)
• The Rosenborg Tapes, Volume II—20 variations on the Prelude and Fugue in C-sharp minor by J. S. Bach (TYLDEN & CO. / SEPTEMBER) (1999)
• Himmelrand \u2013 Tusenarsoratoriet (text: Stein Mehrens, 1935-) (BMG) (1999)
• Epigraphs (with David Darling) (ECM) (2000)
• Grace (Recorded live at Vossa Jazz, 2000) (text: John Donne, 1562-1626) (EMARCY) (2001)
• Before the Light (NOVEMBER) (2001)
• Old (UNIVERSAL) (2001)
• Early Years (UNIVERSAL) (2002)
• The Nest (featuring Anneli Drecker) text: Harte Crane, 1899-1932) (EMARCY) (2003)
• Profeten (with Terje Rypdal and Ole Paus) (text: Kahlil Gibran, 1883-1931) (ABC-MEDIA) (2003)
• Seafarer's Song (UNIVERSAL JAZZ) (2004)
• Solskinnsdypet (featuring Kolbein Falkeid) (text: Kolbein Falkeid) (KKV) (2004)
• Floating (EMARCY) (2006)
• Rainbow Sessions (UNIVERSAL JAZZ) (2006)
• Devotions (UNIVERSAL JAZZ) (2007)
• The Light: Songs of Love and Fear (with Randi Stene and Lars Anders Tomter) (ECM) (2008)

Books

• Ketil Bjørnstad. The story of Edvard Munch, London, UK: Arcadia, 2001. ISBN 1900850443.
• Ketil Bjørnstad. Villa Europa: roman, Oslo, Norway: Aschehoug, 1992 (Norwegian). ISBN 8203168728.

Awards

• Spellemann 1974 in the open class forBerget det blå
• Sarpsborg Prize 1978
• Riksmålsforbundets litteraturpris 1988
• Mads Wiel Nygaards endowment 1989
• Gammleng Prize in the open class in the 2001
• Member of the winning of the French read the price Le prix des lecteur for his romanthe musicin 2008

External links

• ECM Discography
• Biography at Kjell Kalleklev Management
• Official web site