Arne Nordheim is dead

Arne Nordheim died Saturday morning after a long illness, according to Nordheim’s wife, Rannveig Getz, NTB

The decorated composer has lived in the State’s honorary residence for artists since 1982 called Grotten.

Breakthrough in 1959

Arne Nordheim studied at the Conservatory of Music in Oslo. He created his first work in 1954. Nordheim’s main genre were works for orchestra. He made his breakthrough in 1959 with the song “Evening Land” and wrote for many orchestral works. He has also written pieces for ballet, singing and stood behind a number of commissioned works. In 1997 he also wrote a separate piece for violinist Arve Tellefsen.

Nordheim was also highlighted as the first to create electronic music in Norway. In 1998, several of the pieces from the 70th century, collected on a CD and re-released to the delight of the composer himself.

I have not composed electronic music before receiving technological training. The point is that I’ve had a message to convey, so for as far as this is not any different from writing a string quartet. All I do is generated out of need and desire. I write the music that I feel must be written, said Nordheim even at release.

Decorated and praised

Nordheim was honored with the Nordic Council’s honorary award, Oslo City Culture and Anders Jahre Culture. In 2004 he was appointed Commander with Star of the Order of St. Olav, and two years later he became honorary doctor at the Norwegian Academy of Music.

The composer was also an honorary member of The International Society for Contemporary Music.

In addition to receiving numerous awards, Nordheim was honored, when the Ministry of Culture in 2001 initiated an award in his name. Arne Nordheim composer’s prize was created in conjunction with the composer’s 70th birthday. The prize, which is 100,000 dollars, is handed out at the Ultima Festival.

Source: Aftenbladet