NILS ANDERS MORTENSEN was born in Flekkefjord, Norway in 1971 and began playing piano at age three. In 1986, he won the Norwegian Young Pianist Competition. He studied at the Norwegian Academy of Music, École Normale in Paris, and Hochschule für Musik und Theater in Hannover. His most important teachers have been Einar Steen-Nøkleberg, Tatjana Nikolajeva, and Hans Leygraf. Mortensen has appeared as soloist with Norway's leading orchestras. He performed Grieg's Piano Concerto in A Minor with the The Norwegian Radio Orchestra during the tradition-rich, festive closing concert of the 1998 Bergen International Festival. He repeated the performance with the Oslo Philharmonic Orchestra in 2000. He has played at chamber music festivals in Stavanger, Oslo, Lofoten, and Risør, among others. Mortensen recorded the piano concertos of Geirr Tveitt with the Stavanger Symphony Orchestra. In recent years, he has made recordings as a chamber musician, exploring the Norwegian repertoire, both new and old. His solo album Im Freien, with music of Claude Debussy, Edvard Grieg, and Béla Bartók, was released in 2012. His recording Veslemøy Synsk (Garborg/Thommessen/Grieg) with Marianne Beate Kielland received a Grammy nomination. Mortensen was also awarded the Robert Levin Memorial Prize in 2004, and he received the Nordlys Award in 2013. Mortensen has established himself as one of Norway’s leading pianists. Nils Anders has released numerous CDs. Artist photos: Espen Mortensen