Ketil Hvoslef (born in 1939) studied the viola and organ at the Music Conservatory in Bergen, from which he graduated as an organist in 1962. Hvoslef continued his composition studies, first in Stockholm with Karl-Birger Blomdahl and Ingvar Lidholm, and later in London with Thomas Rajna and Henri Lazarof. From 1963-79 he taught ear training and theory at the Music Conservatory in Bergen. Hvoslef is a versatile composer, his production consisting for the most part of instrumental compositions. It is difficult to classify his compositorical style because it differs with the task he is solving and the instruments he is writing for. His style has evolved from an almost neo-classical mode of expression to an intensely personal musical language, characterised by great rhytmic ingenuity. Among the musical elements he considers melody as the most important. Tonality is also clearly evident in Hvoslef's music, but is in general characterised by a rather free tonality. Hvolsef made his debut as a composer in 1964 with Concertino for Piano and Orchestra. He has received the Price “Work of the Year” from the Norwegian Socity of Composers four times: In 1978 for Concert for Choir and Chamber Orchestra, in 1980 for Concertino for Orchestra, in 1985 for Il compleanno and in 1992 for Serenata per archi. He was composer in residence at the Bergen International Festival in 1990.
Web: http://www.daminus.de/html_eng/editionen/155_hvoslef.htm