— Award-winning duo with brilliant programme .

Welcome to the opening of the Debut Series — our brand new, dedicated focus on the classical stars of tomorrow. It is a great pleasure to present Alma Kraggerud and Sebastian Egebakken Svenøy as the first performers in the series*, both former winners of both the NRK competition Virtuos and the Norwegian Soloist Prize.

The program includes a complete, romantic programme : Grieg's dramatic third sonata, Brahms ' energetic Scherzo, the piano work Dreaming by Amy Beach and Carmen fantasy by Pablo de Sarasate . Opening speech by Svein Stølen , Rector of the University of Oslo. Welcome!

Alma Kraggerud violin
Sebastian Egebakken Svenøy piano

Duration approximately 1 hour and 10 minutes. The program is without intermission.
The program will be played on 15.2. Ramme , 23.2 in Oslo and 28.2 in Bergen.
* The previously announced athletes, Joakim Røbergshagen & Fabrice Bligoud Vestad, will return later in the season.

• Programme

  Edvard Grieg (1843—1907)
  Violin Sonata No. 3 in C minor, Op. 45

  Johannes Brahms (1833—1897)
  Scherzo from the FAE Sonata (1853)

  Amy Beach (1867—1944)
  From Four Sketches , op. 15: III. Dreaming

  Pablo de Sarasate (1844—1908)
  Carmen Fantasy, Op. 25

• About the performers

  Alma Serafin Kraggerud began playing the violin at the age of 5. Her current and former teachers include Peter Herresthal, Bård Monsen, Robin Wilson, Sigyn Fossnes, Alf Richard Kraggerud and Soon-Mi Chung.

  In 2022, Alma won the renowned NRK competition Virtuos , as well as several other awards, including the Norwegian Soloist Prize and the Øyvind Bergh Memorial Prize. She recently received the renowned Creo scholarship Eilif and daughter Besse Gunstrøm's memorial legacy .

  She has appeared as a soloist with many orchestras abroad and domestically, including the Stavanger Symphony Orchestra, Trondheim Symphony Orchestra, Arctic Philharmonic, Wrocław Philharmonic, Montpellier National Opera, Kristiansand Symphony Orchestra and Helsingborg Symphony Orchestra.

  Alma plays a “Golden Period” Antonio Stradivarius, “ex-Karl Klingler”, Cremona 1720, on generous loan from Anders Sveaas' Allmennyttige Fond.

  Sebastian Egebakken Svenøy started playing the piano at the age of 9, on his own initiative with help from YouTube tutorials when his family got a piano in the living room. Since then, Sebastian has studied with teachers such as Kristin Fyrand Mikkelsen, Einar Henning Smebye, Eirik Haug Stømner and Christopher Park. He is now studying with Jens Elvekjær in Copenhagen.

  Sebastian has received awards in several national and international competitions, including the Norwegian Soloist Award when he won last year's Virtuoso and represented Norway in the international final of Eurovision Young Musicians in Bodø in August.

Welcome to a unique musical experience!

Photo: Sveinung Bjorå