— When two eras meet.
Composer Camille Pépin (b. 1990) is being highlighted as one of France's most exciting and sought-after composers right now. In her work Chamber Music — a sextet written for mezzo soprano, strings, horn, clarinet and piano — we are taken on a symphonic journey into the poetic world of James Joyce. A musical world that is as vibrantly beautiful as it is fascinating.
Next we will hear Austro-Hungarian Ernst von Dohnányi's Sextet in C major, a very popular work that, like Pépin, borders on the American and almost Hollywood-like style — but still with a solid foundation in classical form. On stage are mezzo soprano Melis Jaatinen, a large ensemble from the Oslo Philharmonic Orchestra, pianist César Cañón and our own artistic director, pianist Thormod Rønning Kvam.
You can read more about the program further down this page. Welcome!
Melis Jaatinen mezzo-soprano
Guro Asheim violin
Cecilia Wilder viola
Frida Fredrikke Waaler Wærvågen cello*
César Cañón piano
Thormod Rønning Kvam piano
James Patterson horn
Pierre Xhonneux clarinet
Duration approximately 1 hour and 15 minutes. The program is without intermission.
* Wærvågen replaces cellist Louisa Tuck due to illness.
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Camille Pépin (b. 1990)
Chamber Music (2017)Ernst von Dohnányi (1877—1960)
Sextet in C major, op. 37 -
Naming a piece of chamber music for Chamber Music may be an overstatement, but listen to the piece and you'll understand why. This is innovative chamber music of the highest order: The work's 18 short movements are evocatively set to music poems by James Joyce (1882—1941), composed by Camille Pépin. The cycle tells a true story: From the beginning of love to the waning passion, which ultimately leads to a tender friendship between two lovers. The passion is present, both in words and in music.
Ernö, or Ernst von Dohnányi's C Major Sextet is majestic music filled with heroic themes and enchanting moods. You never know what to expect of the next theme, the next artistic ornamentation, or the desire for the next musical idea. The instrumentation is almost the same as in Pépin — a rather unusual constellation, but carefully chosen for its evocative, symphonic expression.
Programme note written by Pierre Xhonneux / John-Halvdan Olsen-Halvorsen (2024)
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Finnish-Turkish mezzo-soprano Melis Jaatinen is an active performer on the Nordic music scene and has performed at opera houses such as the Royal Opera in Copenhagen, the Finnish National Opera in Helsinki, the Norwegian Opera & Ballet, the Norrlandsoperan and the Savonlinna Opera Festival. She has also been a soloist with orchestras such as the Oslo Philharmonic, the Lahti Symphony Orchestra, the Trondheim Symphony Orchestra and the Arctic Philharmonic. She has a strong interest in chamber music and often collaborates with composers to develop new vocal repertoire.
Clarinetist Pierre Xhonneux was born into a musical family in a region that has preserved a rich heritage of brass bands. He is passionate about chamber music and has performed in concerts at prestigious festivals and concert halls all over the world. He was hired as solo ace clarinetist at the OPRL (Liège, Belgium) in October 2009, and has held the same position at the Oslo Philharmonic since 2015.
Pierre studied at the Institut Supérieur de Musique et de Pédagogie de Namur in Belgium, and furthered his education with Nicolas Baldeyrou in Paris. He has also studied historical clarinet instruments at the Ghent Conservatory. In 2023, Pierre released his first album “Vòren / Fleurs”, dedicated to two Norwegian composers, together with the Terjung ensemble.
Born into a musical family, James Patterson began playing the French horn at the age of 13. He earned his Bachelor of Music in Performance from The Juilliard School in 2016, where he studied with Erik Ralske, followed by a Master of Music in Performance from Indiana University's Jacobs School of Music under the guidance of Dale Clevenger. He later completed a master's degree with a focus on natural horn at Norges Musikhøgskole, studying with Steinar Granmo Nielsen and Julius Pranevicius. James is the Tredjestilling hornist (3rd/1st horn) in Oslo Philharmonic, where he began working in 2022. In addition to his work in Oslo, James often guests in other orchestras, and is an avid chamber musician.
Guro Asheim began playing the violin at the age of six at the cultural school in Stavanger. She studied with Prof. Ulf Wallin at the Edsbergs Slott Chamber Music School in Stockholm from 2005 to 2008 and then with Prof. Serguei Azizian at the Royal Danish Academy of Music in Copenhagen from 2008 to 2013. In 2011-2012 she had an exchange year at the Manhattan School of Music in New York where she studied with Laurie Smukler.
After her debut concert from the soloist class in Copenhagen, she moved to Oslo in 2013. As a freelancer, she has played with orchestras and ensembles throughout Scandinavia and since 2020 she has been permanently employed as first violinist in the Oslo Philharmonic. She is also an active chamber musician and with a passion for contemporary music, she often plays with ensembles such as Oslo Sinfonietta, Ensemble Temporum and Cikada.
Violist Cecilia Wilder was born and raised in Norway to British organist parents and three siblings, two of whom are also orchestral musicians. Her musical upbringing began in Tønsberg on the violin with Sarah Aker, before moving on to Kristiansand. The violin was exchanged for the viola at the age of 11. Her studies were carried out at the Norwegian Academy of Music with Morten Carlsen, Catherine Bullock and Lars Anders Tomter. Are Sandbakken was also an important mentor in chamber music.
Cecilia spent time in Paris in 2011-12 during her master's studies to experience a foreign country up close. She won an audition in December 2010 before becoming a permanent member of the viola group at the Oslo Philharmonic Orchestra in August 2013.
Louisa Tuck is Principal Cellist at the Oslo Philharmonic, a position she took up in 2015. Prior to this, she worked for eight years as Section Head of Cello at the Royal Northern Sinfonia. She has recently been a guest soloist with the BBC Symphony, Philharmonia and Sydney Symphony Orchestras and regularly performs at the BBC Proms. From January 2023, Louisa has been appointed Professor of Cello at the Barratt Due Institute of Music in Oslo. Louisa plays a Nicolo Gagliano cello from 1745, generously on loan from Dextra Musica / Sparebankstiftelsen DNB.
César Cañón is a pianist and conductor at the Norwegian Opera & Ballet. He recently conducted the Obos Christmas Gala 2025 and the world premiere of Fønix , a work by Stian Westerhus and Lisa Lie. As a guest conductor, he has performed at the renowned Music Academy of the West in Santa Barbara, California, with Prokofiev's Peter and the Wolf and Ginastera's Estancia suite. He is a regular member of the musical team at the San Francisco Opera and the Vienna State Opera. As an accompanist, he has recently been heard in Spain, Lithuania and Colombia, together with Colombian sopranos Julieth Lozano and Betty Garcés, Latvian soprano Vera Talerko and Mexican tenor Ramón Vargas. In addition to his international activities, he also performs regularly in his native Colombia as well as in the USA and Europe.
Thormod Rønning Kvam is establishing himself as a pianist in the young, top Scandinavian ranks. Solo performances with the Norwegian Wind Ensemble and the Royal Norwegian Navy Band as well as at venues such as London's Wigmore Hall and the Trondheim Chamber Music Festival are some of the highlights in recent years. He recently received the Norwegian Government Grant for Young Artists and the Nils Larsen International Debut Prize. In 2023, he was appointed Associate of the Royal Academy of Music in London for 'his significant contribution to the music scene'. Thormod is Artistic Director of Aulaseriene in Oslo, Bergen and Ramme in Hvitsten.
We wish you an enjoyable, unique concert experience with us. Welcome!
Photo: Mania Gwarek