Ann-Helen Moen & Ole Christian Haagenrud
Concert in the Exhibition Harriet Backer: Every atom is colour
Experience some of Agathe Backer Grøndahl’s most beautiful songs, performed by Ann-Helen Moen and Ole Christian Haagenrud – surrounded by Harriet Backer’s masterful paintings.
The romance genre was immensely popular in Norway during the 19th century, and Agathe Backer Grøndahl was one of its key pioneers. Throughout her career, she composed around 200 romances, many set to poems by Norwegian writers.
One of the poets Backer Grøndahl most frequently set to music was Vilhelm Krag (1871–1933), a central figure in Norwegian poetry at the end of the 19th century. His neo-romantic and emotionally charged poems made him a favorite among composers, and Backer Grøndahl created some of her most distinctive and moving songs inspired by his poetry.
Her first collection of Krag songs, 10 Sange til Texter af Vilhelm Krag, Op. 29 (1892), is characterized by themes of natural mysticism, longing, and melancholy. These moods are beautifully reflected in Backer Grøndahl’s compositions, which masterfully capture the poems’ melancholy and emotional depth.
The program also includes romances by Eyvind Alnæs (1872–1932).
About the artists:
Soprano Ann-Helen Moen is a versatile and acclaimed singer, renowned for her powerful musical interpretations. Her repertoire spans from early baroque to the great romantic composers and contemporary music, performed on both opera stages and in concert halls. She has collaborated with leading conductors such as Edward Gardner and Masaaki Suzuki and has appeared as a soloist on recordings including Grieg’s Peer Gynt with the Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra and Beethoven’s Missa Solemnis and Symphony No. 9 with the Bach Collegium Japan.
Pianist Ole Christian Haagenrud is regarded as one of Norway’s most promising young pianists. He has performed as a soloist with esteemed ensembles such as the Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra, the Norwegian Radio Orchestra, and the Lithuanian National Symphony Orchestra. His concerts have been broadcast on both national and international TV and radio. In 2014, he made his debut at the University Aula in Oslo and was awarded the prestigious Robert Levin Festival Prize the same year. Most recently, he completed Talent Norway’s distinguished ArtEx (Artist in Excellence) program.