User:Bjørn Kruse

Born 1946 in London, England, but grew up in England, USA and Norway, with studies at UCLA, California, and The Norwegian Academy of Music in Oslo (www.nmh.no), receiving my BA (clarinet major) in 1975 and Diploma in Composition two years later. Has taught at the academy since 1976, becoming professor of composition in 1998. Authored two books on jazz theory and one on composition and drama, "Den Tenkende Kunstner/The Reflective Artist" (Norwegian version: Scandinavian University Press 1995, ISBN 82-00-22405-8).

From teenage years, active for about 25 years as jazz musician (saxophone), composer/arranger, producer and studio musician within most areas of music, while teaching and composing took more and more of my time. My list of works numbers 145, including compositions for choir, chamber ensembles, several concertos and orchestra works, and four operas, and my compositions are performed ever more often in Norway and abroad. My latest major work was the opera “Den Grøne Riddaren/The Green Knight” (libretto by Paal-Helge Haugen), which was premiered in Kristiansand on March 10, 2004. Among prizes won may be mentioned the Fernseh Opern Preis der Stadt Salzburg 1983, for the TV opera “A Game of Chess”, and several of my works have won the Work of the Year in Norway. I was festival composer at Festspillene i Nord-Norge 1994, Vinterfestspill i Bergstaden 2003 and Risør Chamber Music Festival 2005.