Håvard Gimse

Håvard is one of the Nordic region’s most influential and significant recording artists. His sympathetic approach and intelligent, investigative programming have led to numerous prizes and countless glowing reviews. He has received the Diapson d’Or and Gramophone’s Editor’s Choice accolades, while his recent recording of works by Schubert and Schumann (with violinist Henning Kraggerud) was nominated for a Spellmanpris. Håvard has collaborated on recording projects with Truls Mørk and Christian Ihle Hadland, has recorded concertante works for Naxos and Simax (including the Grieg and Tveitt Piano Concertos), and in addition has appeared on the Sony, Fabra, Danacord, Naim and Chandos labels.

In the Nordic countries, Håvard has performed as a concerto soloist with the Royal Stockholm, Oslo and Bergen Philharmonic Orchestras, with the Finnish Radio and Danish Radio Symphony Orchestras and with the Norrkoping Symphony Orchestra. Further afield he has performed with the Baltimore and City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestras, with the Royal Philharmonic and Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestras and with the Japan Philharmonic, Prague Symphony, Frankfurt Radio and Belgian National Philharmonic Orchestras.

Håvard has performed on many of the world’s most prestigious stages including the Wigmore Hall in London, Carnegie Hall in New York, Palais des Beaux Arts in Brüssels, the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam, the Recital Hall in St Petersburg, the Suk Hall in Prague and the Konzerthaus in Berlin. In 2016 Håvard made his first appearance at the Norwegian Opera and Ballet as piano soloist in the company’s production of Anna Karenina.

Håvard was born in Kongsvinger, east of Oslo. He studied at the Hochschule der Künste Berlin with Hans Leygraf and later with Jiri Hlinka in Norway. His victory at the Jugend Musiziert Competition in 1987 was the first in a string of major accolades to come his way. He won the Steinway Prize in 1995, the Grieg Prize in 1996, the Sibelius Prize in 2004 and the Norwegian Critics Prize for his performances of Beethoven’s Cello Sonatas with Truls Mørk at the 2011 Bergen International Festival.

Håvard was for some years Artistic Director of the Elverum Festival and sits on the Artistic Board of the Oslo Chamber Music festival. He is Professor of Piano at the Norwegian Academy of Music in Oslo. His performance of the second piano concerto by Rachmaninoff with Maestro Petrenko and the Oslo Phil, has been by far the most viewed video with Oslo Philharmonic to this date.