This Saturday, Håvard Gimse Leads the Line-up of Star Pianists at Stavanger International Piano Festival
Håvard Gimse is recognised as one of Norway's leading musicians, celebrated for his broad and versatile repertoire. He is highly sought after as a soloist and chamber musician, and many of Scandinavia's finest classical artists prefer him as their accompanist.
After earning his diploma at Hochschule der Künste Berlin under Hans Leygraf in 1995, he continued his studies with Professor Jiri Hlinka in Norway. In 1987, he won first prize at the Jugend Musiziert Competition, and since then has received numerous prestigious awards in Norway and Scandinavia, including the Steinway Prize (1995), Grieg Prize (1996), and Sibelius Prize (2004). At the Bergen International Festival in 2011, he and Truls Mørk were awarded the Critics' Prize for their performance of Beethoven's complete cello sonatas.
Gimse's passion for Scandinavian and Norwegian classical music has made him a leading figure in this field. His efforts to promote lesser-known music from the region have earned him acclaim and awards from Diapason and Gramophone Critics' Choice.
He has toured extensively in Scandinavia and performed with renowned orchestras such as the Stockholm Philharmonic, Oslo and Bergen Philharmonic Orchestras, Finnish Radio Orchestra, Aarhus Symphony Orchestra, Danish Radio Orchestra, and Norrköping Symphony Orchestra. Beyond Scandinavia, he has played with the Baltimore and Birmingham Symphony Orchestras, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Royal Liverpool Philharmonic, Japan Philharmonic, Tokyo Symphony, Prague Symphony, Frankfurt Radio, Konzerthausorchester Berlin, and the Belgian National Philharmonic Orchestra.
Gimse has graced some of the world’s most prestigious concert halls, including Wigmore Hall, Carnegie Hall (New York), Palais des Beaux-Arts (Brussels), and Concertgebouw (Amsterdam). Notable chamber collaborations include longstanding work with Truls Mørk, with tours to the USA, Japan, and Italy; performances with Tine Thing Helseth at Berlin Konzerthaus and Carnegie Hall; and appearances at Beethovenhaus Bonn with Alina Pogostkina and Wigmore Hall with Marianne Thorsen.
He is a professor at the Norwegian Academy of Music and regularly conducts masterclasses in Norway and abroad.
Duration: Approximately 1 hour and 30 minutes
Organiser: Kutin Concert Society