The harp meets the people

After graduating from her studies in Oslo, Indiana, and Copenhagen Sidsel Walstad has been living her dream.

Today she is a highly sought-after musician, both as a soloist with her own exiting projects and as a chamber musician. She is the solo harpist in The Norwegian Radio Orchestra (Kringkastingsorkesteret), a position she previously held in the Norwegian National Opera Orchestra.

One of the most thrilling characteristics of Sidsel’s artistic life is her ability to cross genres and to transcend and expand the traditional definition of harp music. In her use of electrical harps she has been a pioneer, exploring new musical terrain where fuzz and funky rhythms are musical elements in extraordinary interaction with the traditional harp sound. This musical versatility is evident in her extensive collaboration with leading Norwegian artists representing many musical expressions: Karpe Diem, Ne-Yo, Sissel Kyrkjebø, Silje Nergaard, Solveig Kringlebotn, Secret Garden, Helene Bøksle, and many others. She has demonstrated her versatility and musical inventiveness on many tours in Norway and abroad. She has also been featured at many festivals.

In 2018 she released her debut album “sidsel”, an album with the electric harp in focus. The album was very well received among national broadcasters, newspapers and live audiences. Alongside the musicians Arild Torvik og Marcus Lewin her release-gig was sold out at Belleville (Cosmopolite) in Oslo.

Sidsel is also well known for her ice-harp. In 2010 she cooperated with renowned “ice-musician” Terje Isungset, and together they developed the largest ice-harp in the world. She was featured at the opening concert at the Ice Music Festival in 2009 at Geilo, Norway.

Sidsel is a harpist beyond the ordinary. She surprises, fascinates and captivates her audiences – again and again.