Biography
The harp meets the people
Right from playing her first tones at the harp, as a 9-year-old Trondheim girl, Sidsel had her clear goal: She was going to become a harpist! – And her dream came true!
After studies in Oslo, Indiana, and Copenhagen, she has lived out her dream as a sought-after musician, both as a soloist with her own projects and as a chamber musician. She is also a solo harpist in the Norwegian Radio Orchestra, which she previously did in the Norwegian Opera Orchestra as well.
One of the most exciting things about Sidsel is her ability to cross genre and break the boundaries of what harp music can be. With her electric harps, she has become a pioneer in exploring new musical landscapes, where fuzz and funky rhythms are is big contrasts of the more traditional acoustic harp. Her musical versatility has led to collaborations with musicians and artists as: Stian Carstensen, Stig Brenner, Ibou Cissokho, Karpe, Ne-Yo, Sissel Kyrkjebø, Silje Nergaard, Solveig Kringlebotn, Secret Garden, Helene Bøksle and many more. She has been on several tours in her home country Norway, abroad and has been invited to many festivals.
In autumn 2018, her the album “sidsel” was released, an album with focus on the electric harp. Together with Arild Torvik and Marcus Lewin on drums and electronics, she has made instrumental pop music with the electric harp in the lead role. It created great interest in the media and not least among the audience. Sidsel played a sold-out release concert at Belleville, Cosmopolite in Oslo.
Another unique project Sidsel has been involved in is the collaboration with the “ice musician” Terje Isungset. On Terje´s initiative, Sidsel was involved in the development of various ice harps. They have played together all around the world, for example: inside a glacier in Italy, on the mountain tops around Geilo, Ål and in Washington in the USA!
Sidsel is quite simply a harpist completely out of the ordinary. An artist who surprises and enchants his audience.
C.V.
Sidsel Walstad
Born: 05.09.72
Telephone: +47 908 80 375
Adress: Fossveien 10a 0551, Oslo
Appointments:
- 2004 – Solo harpist at KORK, The Norwegian Radio Orchestra
- 2003-2004: Government Artist Grant, for young/newly established artists
- 2000-2003: Solo harpist at the Norwegian National Opera and Ballet
- 1999: Government Artist Grant, for young/newly established artists
- 1997-2000: Freelance musician
Education/Teachers:
Willy Postma, Sonja Gislinge, S. McDonald
- 1991-1995 Norwegian Academy of Music, Bachelor’s Programme
- 1995-1996 Indiana University, USA, Performer Diploma
- 1995-1997 Royal Danish Academy of Music, Soloist Class
Year 2025:
- Soloist with Hommelvik Musikkorps / Anniversary Concerts 2025
- Vinterfestspill i Bergstaden (festival artist)
- Concert at Ringve Museum with Ibou Cissokho
- Opening concert of Global Nights
- Release concert with Ibou Cissokho / Album release of *Tamoo*
- Special guest at International Evening at Bærum Kulturhus
- Short solo concerts at Dronningen, Oscarsborg, and Skogan, Sandefjord
- Delara at the Opera (musician in the band/orchestra for two concerts)
- Trondheim Chamber Music Festival (festival artist)
- Tingstua Chamber Festival 2025 (festival artist)
- Album release with Multiverse, Anders Lønne Grønnseth’s jazz quintet
- Christmas concerts with the Cathedral Choirs “Klinge skal et jubelkor”
Year 2024:
- Concerts with Stian Carstensen: *Musical Sanatorium*
- Recording with Multiverse, Anders Lønne Grønnseth’s jazz quintet
- Musical guest at the opening of Kunstsilo in Kristiansand
- Instructor for the Norwegian Youth Symphony Orchestra
- Recording with Ibou Cissokho for Global Sonics
- Collaboration with Ingrid Kindem and Mocci Ryen for Oslo Business Forum
- Christmas concerts with the Cathedral Choirs
- Christmas concerts with the Norwegian Women’s Choir
- Christmas concert with the International Women’s Choir
Year 2023:
- Glogerfestspill (festival artist)
- Concerts with Stian Carstensen: *Musical Sanatorium*
- Winter Festival in Flammen (festival artist)
- Recording with the Cathedral Choir, conductor Vivianne Sydnes
- Audiobook *Mieko Danser* (M. Miyata-Jancey)
- Terje Isungset Quartet; concerts in Washington, D.C., USA (Ice Harp)
- Oslo Chamber Music Festival
- Instructor for the Norwegian Youth Symphony Orchestra
- Concert and tour for Global Oslo Music
- Collaboration with Ibou Cissokho (KORA & Harp)
- Soloist with the Cathedral Choir at Oslo Cathedral
- Single release with Hilde Hefte
- Single release with Tonje Ettersvoll
Highlights 2016–2022:
- Trondheim Kamfest (festival artist)
- Stian Carstensen – *Musical Sanatorium* (tours and album)
- Ice Music Festival (festival artist)
- Stig Brenner (Oslo Spektrum)
- Nordland Music Festival Week (festival artist)
- Guest on the podcast “Artists Meet Artists” by Oslo Global Music
- Vinterfestspill i Bergstaden (festival artist)
- Elverum Festival (festival artist)
- Risør Chamber Music Festival (festival artist)
- Hankø Festival (festival artist)
- Silje Nergaard album *Houses*
- Pauline Voss single *Stille*
- CD recording with KORK, Ginastera Harp Concerto
- Collaboration with Oslo Cathedral Choir and Vivianne Sydnes
- Norwegian Youth Symphony Orchestra: Harp Instructor
- Toneheim Folk High School and Firda Upper Secondary School, Harp Teacher
- CD recording of the album *sidsel* and release concert with own trio, within electronic instrumental pop music for electric harp
- Soloist with KORK at KORK’s 70th Anniversary Concert at the University Aula, conductor Miguel Harth-Bedoya (Ginastera Harp Concerto)
- Numerous soloist engagements in various settings and productions
Own CD Releases:
- Ginastera Harp Concerto with KORK (LAWO) 2019
- Sidsel – solo album for electric harps/trio (Sidsel Music) 2018
- Deilig er jorden – Christmas album (Sony BMG) 2009
- Dance of the Elves – with Cecilie Løken, flute – 2002 (Magic Flute)
– overview of other recordings, see www.sidsel.no/discografi/
Soloist Concerts:
KORK, Stavanger Symphony Orchestra, Trondheim Symphony Orchestra, MiN Ensemble, Bodø Sinfonietta, The Norwegian Chamber Orchestra, Trondheim Soloists, Murmansk Symphony Orchestra and others. Additional solo concerts in the USA, Switzerland, France, Austria, Estonia, Lithuania, Latvia, Greenland, South Africa, and Scandinavia. Debut concerts in Oslo and Copenhagen in 1997.
Instructor
for the Norwegian Youth Symphony Orchestra since 2017.
Festivals:
Tingstua Chamber Festival, Vinterfestspill in Røros, Trondheim Chamber Music Festival, Glogerfestspill, Winter Festival in Flammen,
Oslo Chamber Music Festival, Risør Chamber Music Festival, Nordland Music Festival Week, Hankø Festival, FiE, Vossajazz, Molde Jazz Festival, Ice Music Festival in Ål, Geilo and Val Senales (Italy), Church Festival in Kristiansand, Oi-Oi Festival in Bergen, Bergen International Festival, Sevilla Turina Chamber Music Festival, Musik vid Dellen (Sweden), Nordic Summer Nights, Olavfestdagene, and more.
Major Grants and Awards:
Fund for Performing Artists:
- Orchestra Grant 2024
Fund for Sound and Image:
- Concert Support 2018
Fund for Performing Artists:
- Phonogram Grant 2017
- Project Support – Music 2016
- Travel Support 2016
Government Artist Grants:
- Various grants 2011
- Rolf Gammleng Award (2006)
- Work Grant for Young/Newly Established Artists (1999 and 2003–2004)
- Fulbright Foundation (1995–96)
- Norway–America Association (1995–96)
- KORK Friends Association Grant (2022, 2016)
- Norwegian Composers’ Fund – Commission by Sindre Hotvedt (2009)
- Norwegian Composers’ Fund – Commission by Ingrid Kindem (2002)
- Commissioned work by Wolfgang Plagge: *Nocturne for Solo Harp* (1995)
Collaborations with:
Stig Brenner, Karpe, Terje Isungset, Solveig Kringlebotn, Cecilie Løken, Wolfgang Plagge, Catharina Cheng, Stian Carstensen, Mathias Eick, Sissel Kyrkjebø, Odd Børretzen, Maria Haukaas Mittet, Bjørn Eidsvåg, Anita Skorgan, Magnet, Helene Bøksle, Reidun Sæther, Secret Garden, Silje Nergaard, Odd Nordstoga, and many more.
Tours for Rikskonserter:
- “First Date” with KORK
- Solveig’s Songs
- Come Rain Come Sun
- Flirt with Harp Strings
- Tick, Tock, Time Is Coming
- Up Beat Tour in the Baltics and Scandinavia – Tour from Rikskonsertene debut artists
New Music Ensembles:
ONE, Bit-20, Oslo Sinfonietta, Ensemble Ernst.