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The Norwegian lyric baritone, Ørjan Hartveit, studied with Omar Ebrahim and Eugene Asti at Trinity College of Music, London, where he won the Silver Medal and obtained his Bachelor of Music degree in Vocal Performance with First Class Honours (2001-2005), and subsequently went on to study with Russell Smythe. He has also appeared in master-classes with Elly Ameling, Graham Johnson, Malcolm Martineau and Mikko Franck. He has won several awards and sponsorships, including the Hordaland Grant For Musical Development (2001), The Cyril Cork Prize (2003) for 'outstanding performance throughout the year’ and the TCM Trust Silver Medal (2005).
Ørjan Hartveit is active as a freelalance barione singe since 1998. Described in International Record Review as "definitely a name to look out for" (January 2009), recent highlights include appearances at the Bergen International Festival and performances with the Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra, Copenhagen Soloists (Director: Jonathan Ofir), BIT20, Drottningholm Baroque Ensemble and the internationally acclaimed Edvard Grieg Kor (since January 2016).
Ørjan Hartveit appeared in recital in Bergen, Bloomington (Indiana), Cologne, Hamburg, Hardanger, Heraklion, London, New York, Prague and Vilnius, in venues as Troldhaugen, home of Edvard Grieg in Bergen, St Edmundsbury Cathedral, Bury St Edmunds; Charlton House, Regent Hall and Blackheath Halls in London. He is much in demand for his interpretations of the songs of Edvard Grieg and Halfdan Kjerulf, although he is equally at home in French chansons and German Lieder. His repertoire also includes English, Russian, Spanish and Swedish song, spanning from Early Romanticism to the present day. He has collaborated with accompanists and conductors such as Marlon Daniel, Michalis Angelakis, Eugene Asti, Geir Botnen, Daniela Candillari and Tarek al-Shubbak.
His vast concert repertoire includes the Passions (BWV 244, BWV 245) of J.S. Bach, as well as his B Minor Mass (BWV 232), Christmas Oratorio (BWV 248), Magnificat (BWV 243) and Cantata BWV 82 (Ich habe genug); Charpentier's Te Deum, works by Christoph Graupner, George Frideric Handel's Messiah; Haydn's The Creation and Felix Mendelssohn's Elijah, Johannes Brahms, Gabriel Fauré and Herbert Howells Requiems; Masses by Haydn (Missa in tempore), W.A. Mozart, L.v. Beethoven, Schubert, Puccini and Igor Stravinsky; Berlioz L’enfance du Christ (le pere) with Paul Daniel and Trinity College of Music Symphony Orchestra and Choir; Benjamin Britten's Rejoice in the Lamb and Ralph Vaughan Williams' Dona Nobis Pacem, Fantasia on Christmas Carols and Five Mystical Songs.
Ørjan Hartveit also has a strong interest in contemporary music. he has premièred works such as The Gospel of Judas by Tore Vagn Lid/Glenn Erik Haugland with BIT20 Ensemble at the Norwegian National Opera (Oslo), Hampson Sisler's Music In The Soul with Ensemble du Monde under Marlon Daniel at the Merkin Hall (New York) in 2007, and Lera Auerbach's The Infant Minstrel and His Peculiar Menagerie with Edward Gardner and the Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra (Bergen). In 2009 he was the baritone soloist in the world premiere of Heilagbrotet, a medieval play by Torunn Ystaas with incidental music by Henrik Ødegaard, which was repeated in 2011 (Simadal, Norway).
On the operatic stage Ørjan Hartveit has also performed the roles of Aeneas in Dido and Aeneas for New Essex Choral Society (London); Count Almaviva in W.A. Mozart's Le nozze di Figaro for St John's Opera Company (Maidenhead); Lakai and Haushofmeister in Ariadne auf Naxos with Ensemble du Monde (New York); Raguel's Men in Jonathan Dove's Tobias and the Angel for English Touring Opera; Dr. Hasselbacher in Williamson's Our Man In Havana at Greenwich Theatre (London) and St. Olaf in Spelet om St. Sunniva at Hardanger Musikkfest, Norway, and Liberto in Monteverdi's L’incoronazione di Poppea for Trinity College of Music Opera Company.
Highlights in the 2011-2012 season included performances of J.S. Bach's St Matthew Passion (BWV 244) alongside Dame Emma Kirkby with Drottningholm Baroque Ensemble in Sweden, and Dido and Aeneas in London.
Ørjan Hartveit has recorded works by Ralph Vaughan Williams for solo baritone and chorus on the album "Where Hope is Shining" (Albion Records) with Joyful Company of Singers/Peter Broadbent and songs by Geirr Tveitt on the recently released "Geirr Tveitt: Piano Works and Songs (KinnePiano), ), which contains several world premieres. Ørjan Hartveit is currently based in Bergen, Norway. |
