Nils Larsen (pianist)

Nils Larsen (June 7, 1888 – November 5, 1937) was a Norwegian pianist, composer, and pedagogue.[1][2] He was one of Norway's leading pianists before the Second World War[2] and was an influential promoter of Norwegian piano performance.

Nils Larsen
Background information
Born(1888-06-07)June 7, 1888
Kristiania
DiedNovember 5, 1937(1937-11-05) (aged 49)
Instrument(s)Piano
Years active1908–1924

Larsen was born in Kristiania (now Oslo).[1][2] As a young man he studied under Martin Knutzen from 1906 to 1909.[1][2] He made his debut as a composer with four works in 1908 and as a pianist at the Gamle Logen concert hall in 1909.[2] In Berlin he studied under José Vianna da Motta and Rudolph Ganz from 1910 to 1914.[1][2] He spent time in the United States from 1919 to 1920,[2] and he toured Norway with the violinist Leif Halvorsen[3][4] with great success until his last concert, on January 15, 1924.[2] During this time he produced several compositions; these are smaller pieces that are still used in teaching.

Larsen was also affiliated with the Oslo Philharmonic and he operated the Nils Larsen Piano School (Norwegian: Nils Larsens klaverskole) at Parkveien 75 in Oslo.[2] He taught over forty students until their debuts. Among his students were Robert Levin,[5] Robert Riefling,[2] Reimar Riefling,[2] Tore Sinding,[6] Elisabeth Reiss, Eline Nygaard, Kristian Hauger,[2] Sølvi Wang, Gunvor Mjelva, Ester Skogsrud, Ruth Lagesen, Ingebjørg Gresvik, Hans Solum, Hildegunn Reuter, Kåre Siem, Klaus Egge,[7][8] Johan Øian,[2] and Ivar Johnsen. After his early death, responsibility for the piano school was taken over by his former student Ingebjørg Gresvik.

Publications
  • Bøljan blå, sjømannsviser og bygdesanger med musikk (The Blue Wave: Sailor Tunes and Village Songs with Music, 1930)[1][2]

References
  1. "Nils Larsen – norsk pianist". Store norske leksikon (in Norwegian). Retrieved February 12, 2019.
  2. "Nils Larsen - 1". Norsk biografisk leksikon (in Norwegian). Retrieved February 12, 2019.
  3. Solbrekken, Ingeborg (2004). Med empati som våpen: Amalie Christies kamp mot deportasjon og rettsoppgjør. Oslo: Genesis. p. 20.
  4. Wildenvey, Herman (1938). Den Nye rytmen. Oslo: Gyldendal Norsk Forlag. pp. 314–315.
  5. Hansen, Jan E. (1995). "The Humble Master". Listen to Norway. Norwegian Music Information Centre. 3 (2). Retrieved February 13, 2019.
  6. "Tore Sinding". Store norske leksikon (in Norwegian). Retrieved February 13, 2019.
  7. Grinde, Nils (1981). Contemporary Norwegian Music, 1920–1980. Oslo: Universitetsforlaget. p. 43.
  8. Kortsen, Bjarne (1971). Contemporary Norwegian Chamber Music. Bergen: Kortsen. p. 82.

Further reading
  • Glattre, Harald. 2005. "Nils Larsen som pianist, pedagog og menneske." In: Jeg kunne det da jeg gikk hjemmefra, pp. 151–168. Oslo: Norsk Musikforlag.
  • Weydahl, Hanna-Marie. 1977. "Nils Larsen." Norsk Musikktidsskrift 1: 41–44.
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