CONCERTMASTER OF THE NORWEGIAN NATIONAL OPERA ORCHESTRA
Øyvind Bjorå, born in 1974 in Norway, is a versatile violinist who has distinguished himself as a leader of orchestral ensembles. Formerly concertmaster of the Trondheim Symphony and Bergen Philharmonic, he has since 2005 led the Norwegian National Opera Orchestra, and he has appeared as guest with the Philharmonia Orchestra in London, the Danish National Symphony, the Oslo Philharmonic, NDR Radiophilharmonie, Orquestra Simfònica de Barcelona, Orquesta Filarmónica de Gran Canaria, Real Orquesta Sinfónica de Sevilla and Orquestra Gulbenkian in Lisbon.
LEADER AND SOLOIST
Bjorå has appeared as leader and soloist with the Norwegian Chamber Orchestra, Oslo Camerata, Trondheim Soloists and the orchestras in Tromsø and Kristiansand. After a concert in Carnegie Hall where he led Bartok’s Divertimento for strings, with Risør Festival Strings, the New York Times wrote: “…I cannot recall a more persuasive account, conducted or otherwise.”
CHAMBER MUSICIAN
As a chamber musician he has performed in the Wigmore and Carnegie Hall, and has collaborated with, amongst others, Sveinung Bjelland, Leif Ove Andsnes, Saleem Abboud Ashkar, Marc-André Hamelin, Martin Fröst and Torleif Thedéen, at the Festspillene in Bergen and at other major chamber music festivals.
THE VIOLIN
He plays a violin made by Matteo Goffriller in Venezia, 1721, provided by Dextra Musica.