The Arctic Chamber Music Festival 2025 (Feb 19–23) in Svalbard highlighted young musicians from Voksenåsen Music Academies talent programmes, Alma Kraggerud, Birgitta Elisa Oftestad, Helga Diljá Jörundsdóttir, and the NOVO Quartet. The festival offered unique concert opportunities and learning experiences for our talents with the Arctic Philharmonic, Orchestra Director Catharina Roos Bilsbak, Editor of The Strad magazine Emma Baker, and the festival’s composer-in-residence Missy Mazzoli.
The Opening Concert featured young soloists alongside the Arctic Philharmonic, performing Vivaldi’s ‘Winter’ from The Four Seasons, and Tchaikovsky’s Nocturne. At Soup, Sounds and Stories, they explored Mazzoli’s music in an intimate setting at Artica, gaining insight and coaching directly from the composer.
At the Dinner Concert in Polfareren I, they blended their music with fine dining, showcasing their versatility and guiding diners through the evening with a mix of composers and moods. Museum-Melodies: “Tonen i Isen” featured storytelling and music for all ages, including Vivaldi’s Winter. In The Voices of Pioneers, we heard stories of Ole Bull and Missy Mazzoli’s life and music in Gruve 7, one of Svalbard’s last working mines.
Thank you to ACMF and the Arctic Philharmonic for the fantastic collaboration. Thank you also to our funders whose support made our collaboration possible: Talent Norway, Sparebankstiftelsen, Music Norway, Furestiftelsen.
photos c. Eva Grøndal/ACMF