The Norwegian Soloists' Choir is starting Solistkoret UNG with support from Sparebankstiftelsen DNB and Talent Norge.
A long-awaited announcement
Solistkoret UNG is a several-year initiative where chosen young singers will be given the possibilities to improve their capacity and competence in ensemble singing.
After auditioning, eight to twelve singers aged between 18-26 will be chosen from the whole country. The singers will be paid for their participation in the programme.
– This is something for which we have been working for so long. It’s fantastic that we can finally launch Solistkoret UNG. We hope that the programme draws in motivated and talented young singers, and becomes an important focal point for them in the development of their careers, says General Manager for The Norwegian Soloists' Choir, Ingvild Skaatan.
Artistic leadership
The programme will be project-based and lead by the choir's conductor and Artistic Director Grete Pedersen. With her are the two young conductors Yuval Weinberg and Timothy Ferguson who both have international experience working with young singers.
– Solistkoret UNG will be a platform for developing young singers to establish themselves as professional musicians. Two years where they can empower themselves to thread the eye of the needle as professional musicians.
During the projects, the singers will have access to individual tuition, together with training and practice in ensemble singing.
– I believe Solistkoret UNG as a group will have a clear intrinsic value and contribute inspiration and freshness to an established Norwegian music scene, concludes Grete Pedersen.
A new generation of ensemble singers
– The Norwegian Soloists' Choir has a fantastic position in the Norwegian music scene and Talent Norge is proud that, through Solistkoret UNG, we can help create a new generation of ensemble singers, says Maria Mediaas Jørstad, General Manager of Talent Norge.
The Norwegian Soloists' Choir will collaborate and exchange experiences with key cultural institutions in the development of the Solistkoret UNG. In the initial stages, they met with the leadership of the National Ballet to learn about the development of their UNG initiative.
– Collaboration across genres and institutions is an important goal for Talent Norway, and we are pleased that collaboration and exchange of experience with other institutions will also be central to talent development.
In addition to 1 million kroner from Talent Norge, The Norwegian Soloists' Choir will receive 2.35 million kroner over three years from Sparebankstiftelsen DNB for the development of Solistkoret UNG.
- We are very proud to be able to contribute to the establishment of the Solistkoret UNG in collaboration with Talent Norge. We are convinced that a talent program for young choir singers will greatly benefit the entire choir scene in Norway. We are looking forward to following this project closely and wish them luck, says Anders Bjørnsen, Head of Arts and Culture at Sparebankstiftelsen DNB.
Auditions for Solistkoret UNG will be announced on The Norwegian Soloists’ Choir website.