6-10 august

LEIF OVE ANDSNES PRESENTS HIS LAST ROSENDAL CHAMBER MUSIC FESTIVAL

The Rosendal Chamber Music Festival celebrates its final edition this August, returning to Norwegian roots and the local region of Hardanger, which inspired many artists, including, Edvard Grieg. 

“It is with mixed emotions that I share with you that this year’s festival will be my last” says founder and artistic director Leif Ove Andsnes. “I look back with immense gratitude on a wonderful 10-year period, in which we have explored a wealth of repertoire and musical ideas in Rosendal.”

“It seems fitting that for our final festival, we take inspiration from the surrounding region of Hardanger, and celebrate three composers who have all had a close connection with this incredible landscape and its community.”

6-10 august

Our starting point is Lofthus where Edvard Grieg spent many of his holidays. Here he composed various works including the Holberg Suite and his only complete String Quartet, both of which will be performed at this year’s festival. Special focus will be given to his songs which are arguably some of Grieg’s most important works.

Hardanger’s relative isolation allowed for the development of a rich local music tradition, and for Geirr Tveitt (1908-81) collecting and re-writing folk-songs became a passion. Leif Ove Andsnes has long been a champion of his music and this year’s festival features some of Tveitt’s own songs, as well as his only surviving piano sontata.

Festival composer Knut Vaage (b.1961) was born up the road from Rosendal in Sunde. Amongst several of his works to be performed this summer are two pieces inspired by Grieg’s Lyric Pieces and Haugtussa song-cycle, and three world premieres written for counter-tenor Daniel Sæther and ensemble.

From west coast Norway we travel to Leipzig, for a programme exploring Mendelssohn and Schumann’s influence on the young Grieg, who arrived in the city aged 15 to study at the famous conservatoire. This year’s festival also pays homage to Ravel in the 150th anniversary of his birth and to Shostakovich 50 years after his death. 

Joining Leif Ove Andsnes this August are numerous guest artists, including Yulianna Avdeeva, James Baillieu and Knut ChristianJansson (piano), Johan Dalene (violin), Timothy Ridout (viola), Julia Hagen (cello), Opus 13 String Quartet, Cecilie Løken (flute), Björn Nyman (clarinet), Caroline E.Dahl (recorder), Jadran Duncumb (lute), Andre Lislevand (gamba), Christian Kjos, (harpsichord/organ), Mari Eriksmoen (soprano), Eirik Grøtvedt (tenor), Daniel Sæther (counter-tenor) and Ragnhild Gudbrandsen (actress).

6-10 august

FAREWELL TO THE 

ROSENDAL CHAMBER MUSIC FESTIVAL

“This summer will see the completion of an extraordinary chapter of music-making at Baroniet, and I would like to extend my heartfelt thanks to Leif Ove Andsnes for all the passion and energy he has invested in making the Rosendal Chamber Music Festival so special.”

“In 2026 we will launch a new summer concert series, and I am delighted that Leif Ove has accepted our invitation to be artistic advisor, ensuring that classical music continues to thrive here, in the heart of Hardanger.”

Anna Lena Flatland: Director, Baroniet Rosendal

6-10 august

“All of us in the festival team have said it time and again, but it remains true: Rosendal and Baroniet’s combination of nature, history, and culture provide an extraordinarily special framework for the many strings of classical music to resonate. I look forward to continuing this journey.

“During the last 10 years I have had the joy of creating programmes which I personally wanted to hear performed at the Rosendal Chamber Music Festival, and each year I have felt as excited as a child to share them with our audience. Yet running a festival is a year-round endeavor, and each summer has required significant time and effort. My decision to step down whilst Rosendal is still thriving, comes after careful consideration of how I wish to spend my time and energy moving forward.

“I want to give my sincere thanks to the Kristian Gerhard Jebsen Foundation. They have been an invaluable partner and the festival could never have been the artistic playground it has become without their incredible support.”

Leif Ove Andsnes