Henning Kraggerud violin/leader

"Kraggerud's big, relaxed sound, sunny musicality and communication with the orchestra made this a standout performance... there was a genuine quality about his playing that was irresistible... Kraggerud must be counted among the world's most interesting and accomplished stars."

Cincinnati.com, November 2009

"His interpretation of Beethoven's Violin Concerto [with the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra at Carnegie Hall] was a breath of fresh air... Who knew that Beethoven could be this much fun?"

OC Register, October 2009

"Kraggerud's playing gripped the attention through its subtle blend of tenderness and virtuosity."

Geoffrey Norris, The Telegraph, August 2010

Norwegian violinist Henning Kraggerud is an artist of exquisite musicianship, who combines an unusually sweet tone and beauty of expression with impressive virtuosity, drawing audiences and critics alike towards the genuine quality of his playing. Henning maintains a busy diary as soloist with many of Europe's major orchestras, building relationships with leading conductors. Last season saw him performing with the London Philharmonic Orchestra under Osmo Vänskä, the Stuttgart Staatsorchester with Manfred Honeck and the Scottish Chamber Orchestra under Joseph Swensen, among many others. Henning has continued to further his career in the United States, appearing last season with the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra at Carnegie Hall, where his "sweet, polished sound" and the "melting beauty" of his playing were praised by the New York Times. He performed again with the Cincinnati Symphony under Stéphane Denève, the Detroit Symphony under Peter Oundjian and the Seattle Symphony under Vassily Sinaisky. The end of the 09/10 season saw Henning perform at the BBC Proms in London with the Danish National Symphony Orchestra and Thomas Dausgaard.

With a strong Scandinavian profile, Henning continues to work extensively in his home region, including recent concerts with the Helsingborg and Trondheim Symphony orchestras and the Lahti Symphony Orchestra with Jukka Pekka Saraste. He has maintained frequent collaborations with the Helsinki and Oslo Philharmonic and the Norwegian Chamber orchestras, as well as kept strong links with many of the Norwegian festivals. From 2011, Henning succeeds Leif Ove Andsnes as Artistic Director of the Risør Festival of Chamber Music.

Highlights of the current season include re-invitations to the Bournemouth Symphony and Hallé orchestras, where he is a great favourite. He appears with SWD Philharmonie, and joins the West Australian and Tasmanian Symphony orchestras. In North America, Henning makes a return visit to the Toronto Symphony Symphony and performs in recital at New York's Lincoln Center.

Henning is increasingly in demand as a guest director, performing in this role with the Zurich Chamber Orchestra, and more recently at the City of London Festival with the Britten Sinfonia, who immediately re-invited him.

A committed chamber musician, Henning also performs both on violin and viola at the major international festivals; last season he participated in a 'Szymanowski Focus' at London's Wigmore Hall curated by Piotr Anderszewski, and at the Verbier Festival with Joshua Bell and Leonidas Kavakos among others. Other frequent collaborators include Leif Ove Andsnes, Christian Ihle Hadland and Truls Mørk. This season, Henning joins the Risør Festival of Chamber Music on Tour, performing at London's Wigmore Hall, New York's Zankel Hall at Carnegie Hall and Palais des Beaux Arts in Brussels.

Adding to his multi-faceted career, Henning is an innovative improviser and composer, performing many of his own cadenzas and arrangements in concert, and several of his compositions have been performed at festivals worldwide.

Last season, Henning gave the first performance of Munch Suite for Solo Violin – a new and unique concert project consisting of fifteen new pieces by fifteen composers from around the world. Taking place at the Haugar Vestfold Kunstmuseum in Tønsberg, Norway, as part of the Vestfold International Festival, these pieces were inspired by the works of Edvard Munch and were performed in dialogue with the paintings themselves at an exclusive arts experience.

Henning has recorded many highly-acclaimed discs, including the complete unaccompanied Violin Sonatas by Ysaye for Simax for which he received the prestigious Spellemann CD award. Henning was also involved in making a major television & cinema documentary about the Norwegian violin virtuoso and composer, Ole Bull (1810-1880), released in November 2006 and more recently as an English language version. Henning received the Ole Bull Prize in 2007.

Born in Oslo in 1973, Henning studied with Camilla Wicks and Emanuel Hurwitz. He is a recipient of Norway's prestigious Grieg Prize and in 2007 was awarded the Sibelius Prize for his interpretations and recording of Sibelius' music throughout the world. Henning is a Professor at the Barratt-Due music conservatoire.

Henning Kraggerud plays on a 1744 Guarneri del Gesu, provided by Dextra Musica AS. This company is founded by Sparebankstiftelsen DnB NOR.

September 2010

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