NoXaS Saxophone Quartet was established in 2007 and since then has distinguished itself as a high-quality ensemble with several collaborations with elite Norwegian musicians and ensembles. Its main objective is to perform the best possible repertoire for this type of ensemble format while simultaneously building up a new repertoire together with composers and other performers. Through this work, NoXaS has cemented its position as a significant asset to the Norwegian music scene.
Since its inception, the quartet has maintained an ongoing dialogue with composers regarding the development of new works for this exciting form of ensemble. This has resulted in several new pieces specifically commissioned for NoXaS. The quartet has collaborated with composers such as Olav Anton Thommessen, Orjan Matre, Jon Oivind Ness, Ketil Hvoslef, and Henrik Hellstenius.
In recent years, NoXaS has worked to develop new repertoire in a variety of constellations with various orchestras, free ensembles, and individual musicians, including with the pianist Sergej Osadchuk, the singer Berit Norbakken, the vocal sextet Nordic Voices, the Saturnalia Chamber Orchestra, and the Oslo Philharmonic Orchestra.
NoXaS consists of Rene Wiik (baritone saxophone), Roger Andreas Holme (tenor saxophone), Ida Kristine Zimmermann Olsen (alto saxophone), and Lars Lien (soprano saxophone).
Formed in 1996, the six-voice a cappella group Nordic Voices is comprised of graduates from the Norwegian Academy of Music and the Norwegian Academy of Opera who, in addition to their singing backgrounds, have a broad range of experience from choral conducting to teacher training and composition.
Already from the start it was an aim to explore the possibilities within the human voice and to make composers write more demanding and exciting music for vocal ensembles. The singers are classical trained, they are familiar with different extended vocal techniques, and always challenge themselves to expand their expressions. Their close work together with a wide range of composers have led to more than 70 world premieres. Nordic Voices master a wide spectrum of musical styles, ranging from folk music and renaissance music to new works commissioned by composers from all over the world.
In concert, Nordic Voices often presents programme concepts revolving around themes, for example, historical figures or textual links, bringing the music to life in sometimes unexpected ways.
Artistic creativity, communication, versatility, technical precision are the primary ingredients of the perfect recipe for a performing arts ensemble, and these are precisely the elements that make up Nordic Voices. The group has been making waves not only in Norway and Europe, but in places as far afield as South Africa, Japan, Bolivia as well as frequent tours to the USA and Canada.
Nordic Voices are:
Tone Elisabeth Braaten (soprano), Ingrid Hanken (soprano), Ebba Rydh (mezzo-soprano), Per Kristian Amundrod (tenor), Frank Havroy (baritone/tenor), and Rolf Magne Asser (bass).
Berit Norbakken is one of Scandinavia's leading sopranos. Her versatility and flexibility of voice have allowed her to master a repertoire ranging from Baroque to contemporary, including folk music. She regularly appears in performances of oratorios, passions, and masses, and continues her work with leading ensembles, orchestras and conductors in major concert halls all over the world.
Her many recordings have garnered high critical acclaim both in Norway and abroad. In particular her recording of Arriaga's vocal music, together with the BBC Philharmonic under the baton of Juanjo Mena has received glowing reviews internationally. Norbakken has appeared at the Sydney Opera House, the Tokyo Opera City Concert Hall, at the Cincinnati May Festival as well as in several programmes touring throughout Europe.
As a research fellow through The Norwegian Artistic Research Program, she has worked closely with the Swedish composer Karin Rehnqvist.
