Terje Tønnesen

Terje Tønnesen has pursued dual careers of long renown as a violin soloist and as leader and artistic director of the innovative Norwegian Chamber Orchestra. Tønnesen and a group of like-minded young players attended a university seminar. The Norwegian Chamber Orchestra grew out of these interactions and made its debut in 1977 with Tønnesen as leader, then artistic director. The Orchestra almost immediately began to attract the attention of recording companies. He specialized in works like Vivaldi's Four Seasons that demand a charismatic violin soloist, and his appeal easily made the transition to recordings. Independently of the Orchestra, Tønnesen has recorded for ECM, Simax, BIS, and other labels, issuing a pair of recordings on BIS in 2017 with a new group, Camerata Nordica. ~ James Manheim