KNUT VAAGE (b. 1961) lives in Bergen, Norway, where he works as a composer. He graduated as a pianist and composer from the Grieg Academy in Bergen and has worked with various styles of music, focusing mainly on improvised and contemporary music. Many of Vaage's projects have explored the boundaries between improvisation and composition. The development of an acoustic/electronic hybrid soundscape is another significant aspect of his music. Vaage’s musical output ranges from symphonic works to opera and solo pieces. His compositions are frequently performed at concerts and festivals both in Norway and abroad, among them Bergen International Festival, Ultima, Borealis, Ilios, Grec Festival (Barcelona), Prague Spring Festival, Nordic Music Days in Stockholm and Reykjavik, the ECCO festival (The European Contemporary Composers Orchestra), and in Carnegie Hall. His operas have been staged at The Norwegian Opera & Ballet, Ultima, DNS in Bergen and NOSO in Tromsø, and abroad at Pfalztheater, Stadttheater Giessen, Theatre National Luxembourg (TNL) and at the Armel Opera Festival in Hungary. More info on knutvaage.com Artist photos: observatoriet