Grete Pedersen’s grand finale with The Norwegian Soloists’ Choir
With innovative force and artistic vision, conductor Grete Pedersen has led The Norwegian Soloists’ Choir to ever new musical heights. In the summer of 2025, she passes on the baton, having been the choir’s musical director for 35 years. Her final season coincides with the choir’s 75-year anniversary. This upcoming period is dedicated to the celebration of Grete Pedersen’s grand finale with the choir, under the heading Horizons. The first part is announced today, the second part will be announced in the autumn.
- The horizon is a clear boundary, where earth and sky meet. At the same time, it has no beginning or end. It reminds us of something constant, something we have already experienced, but it is also an unknown, an open-ended future. The horizon helps us see far, and to understand that we are parts of a greater whole. The musical and human interactions I experience with The Norwegian Soloists’ Choir involve all these dimensions, in our ceaseless quest for meaning and depth. Dear audience: Welcome to a new season! I can’t wait to share these concerts with you.
If you would like to purchase tickets to several concerts, and secure good seats and invitations to open rehearsals, we recommend becoming a member of the Soloists’ Choirs loyalty program.
Festival Artist in Rosendal
With its breathtaking backdrop of sea and mountains in West Norway, the 17th century manor house of Rosendal has lured guests on a remote journey across the Hardanger Fjord for more than 300 years. Today, Baroniet is the setting for the Rosendal Chamber Music Festival, founded by pianist and artistic director Leif Ove Andsnes in 2016. The Norwegian Soloists’ Choir and Grete Pedersen are among this year’s festival artists. During August’s festival they will give no less than six concerts. They will be performing music by Franz Liszt, Johann Sebastian Bach’s St. John Passion, and works by composer and voice artist Ruth Wilhelmine Meyer.
New Music
One of the pillars of the Soloists’ Choir since its founding in 1950, has been the wish to perform both classical and modern music with equal passion and precision. This aspect of the choir’s work has certainly blossomed under Grete Pedersen’s leadership. She has been a driving force in promoting new musical expressions and expanding the choir’s repertoire.
The Ultima Festival in Oslo is an important arena for musical experimentation and exploration. During this year’s festival, Grete Pedersen leads The Oslo Philharmonic, The Norwegian Girls Choir and singers from The Norwegian Soloists' Choir Academy and the Soloist’s Choir, in a performance of Fire in my mouth by Julia Wolfe. The piece is inspired by one of the greatest tragedies in the history of New York, a factory fire where 146 textile workers perished.
Musical Treasures
In addition to collaborations with several orchestras, Grete Pedersen’s last seasons also offer up many concerts where the audience gets to hear just the pure sound of the choir. The concert series Absolute Soloists’ Choir showcases some of the finest works written for an a cappella choir – music that demands first-class performances from both the singers and the conductor, communication and musicality. This is musical extreme sports, but with subtle and substantial contents.
Christmas with the Soloists’ Choir
This year’s Christmas tour will be a monumental finale to numerous acclaimed Christmas projects. This time, Johann Sebastian Bach’s life-affirming Christmas Oratorio is on the programme. This work is a beloved part of Christmas traditions for many people. It will be the first time the Soloists’ Choir and conductor Grete Pedersen perform the work together, along with the phenomenal Ensemble Allegria.