Songs Of Existence
Uniting poets, visual artists and singers from the ICORN Cities of Refuge Network, joining forces with Stavanger Symphony Orchestra, actors from Rogaland Theatre, volunteer participants and Stavanger Culture School's youth choir, Songs Of Existence turned out an event of major importance and tremendous artistic power. Nils Henrik A. was the curator and artistic director. September 18, 2025, Stavanger konserthus.
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Songs of Existence 18.sept 2025 - PROGRAMME:
PART 1
Marja Mortensson: Galkije johke
Mansur Rajih: Songarens røyst
Ghawgha: The Crucified
Fatemeh Ekhtesari: The 4 rooms (part 1)
Aaiun Nin: If we happen to meet on this road (part 1)
Ghawgha: Boat
Haile Bizen: Gjenlyd
Selma Yonus: Alt i dette fjerne landet
Marja Mortensson: Tjelvie
Haile Bizen: Our recent family picture
Selma Yonus: Etter å ha vært vitne
Fatemeh Ekhtesari: The 4 rooms (part 2)
Aaiun Nin: If we happen to meet on this road (part 2)
Ghawgha: Zamāna
Irina Shuvalova: VOX
Artur Dron: Say hello to the children
Mansur Rajih: Something like Poetry
Ghawgha: Sing for Me
PART 2
Mohsen Hossaini: Border
(music: John Adams - Shaker Loops, II Hymning slews)
Mansur Rajih: Orbit of Love
(music: John Adams - Shaker Loops, III Loops and Verses)
Marja Mortensson: Biegke Jarkele
Marja Mortensson: Mojhtesh
Fatemeh Ekhtesari: My head loaded the gun
(music: Beethoven/Asheim)
Mohammad El-Susi and Abu Joury:
LA (no, no, no) - Where do we go
Displaced - I wish - March for Palestine - Ascending to Heaven
Aaiun Nin: Mourning is movement
Britta Bystrøm: 10 secret Doors - VI Grazioso
Ramy Essam:
Prison in color
A letter To the Security Council of the United Nations
Revolution
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Singers: Marja Fjellheim Mortensson, Ghawgha, Mohammed Elsusi, Ramy Essam
Readings by Mansur Rajih,Fatemeh Ekhtesari, Aaiun Nin, Haile Bizen and Selma Yonus
Translations read by Anders Dale, Mari Strand Ferstad, Mareike Bechtel Wang
Additional poetry by Artur Dron and Iryna Shuvalova
Stavanger Kulturskole Youth Choir
Stavanger Symphony Orchestra, conductor: Ingunn Korsgård Hagen
Percussion: Kenneth Ekornes
Organ: Nils Henrik Asheim
Prologue with Ana Ahwa performance, by Amira al-Sharif
Video graphics for Mohammed Elsusi: Elsusi
Video graphics for Ramy Essam: Khalid Albaih and Studio Blunt
Video graphics by André Foldøy and Aleksander Forsbakk
Sound design: Kenneth Hernes
Light design: Tord Knudsen
Curated and directed by Nils Henrik Asheim
Presented by Stavanger Symphony Orchestra & Icorn
in collaboration with Kapittel and Rogaland Teater
with support from Stavanger 2025
Stavanger Biprodukt
A new band, new music and lyrics, 4 ship engines, 10 steel plates and 100 spectators at sea. Stavanger Biprodukt was commissioned by Øyhopp Festival, as a part of the city's 900 years celebration. Music by Nils Henrik Asheim, lyrics by Øyvind Rimbereid. The premiere took place on Steinsøyholmen, Aug.7, 2025.
Organ cinema: Man with a movie camera
Recorded on the streets of present Ukraine, Man With a Movie Camera (Dziga Vertov, 1929) is a ground-breaking cinematic experiment. Nils Henrik's version with augmented pipe organ was performed on May 16, 2025, in Stavanger konserthus, later presented at the Hyperorgan Symposium, Orgelpark, Amsterdam, in June.
Organotopia - the movie
Do you remember Organotopia, Oslo 2022? Did you participate? Curious about the whole? Watch the essence of the incredible 12 hours condensed to 52 minutes in this beautiful documentary.
Norsk versjon:
https://youtu.be/KNAcM7NfvB0
English version:
https://youtu.be/MlONA-fKwCY
Lydkilder - on NHA's artistic practice
Mostly in Norwegian, but also with some English articles, this publication by Pelikanen Forlag reflects my artistic practice through articles by fellow artists and myself. Lydkilder - tekster omkring Nils Henrik Asheims musikalske praksis. Editor: Hild Borchgrevink.
Available as paperback and e-book
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Nils Henrik Asheim lager musikk for alt fra båtmotorer og symfoniorkestere til forfattere og støymusikere. Her skriver han om sitt eget arbeid som komponist, organist, improvisator og kurator, og vi følges inn til musikalske prøver, plateinnspillinger, skriveprosesser og konsertplanlegging.
I tillegg skriver et knippe kunstnere og teoretikere om temaer som knytter seg til Asheims mangfoldige virke. For eksempel får en turne med orgeldikt og Asheims orgelmusikk forfatter øyvind Rimbereid til å tenke rundt metaforer. Komponist og forfatter Eivind Buene skriver om å synge Schubert-lieder og kompe seg selv på en Fender Rhodes: Var Franz Schubert egentlig singer-songwriter?
Asheim kobler, som landets eneste konserthusorganist, orgelet til alle tenkelige musikalske sjangere og kunstformer. I "Lydkilder" fortelles det om de uventede opplevelsene Asheims musikk skaper, om hvordan musikk blir til og om hvordan musikken selv utgjør en offentlighet.
Andre bidragsytere i boka er: Marion Hestholm, Anna Lindal, Hans Fidom, Christian Blom, Simon Cummings og Trond Hugo Haugen
New release: Buxtehude Echoes
Proudly presenting this new album by Nivalis Barokk and Nordic Voices. It features Dietrich Buxtehude's cantata set Jesu Membra Nostri interwoven with Nils Henrik Asheim's Buxtehude Echoes.
Crossing Grieg finally recorded!
The collaboration between brothers Håkon and Nils Henrik Asheim, developed over many years, will now appear as an album. In Crossing Grieg, Edvard Grieg's "Slåtter" opus 72 are rendered in various modified ways, ranging from the superimposition of original materials, both Hardanger fiddle and piano versions, to improvisations. The recording took place in Østre Aker kirke, for the Lawo Classics label, March 25-27 2025. Release planned for Spring 2026.
Organ music in the heart of Lviv
It was such a great joy and honor to play the organ at Lviv Railway Station, Ukraine, on January 10 and 11, 2025, as a part of Zhanna Kadyrova's art project "Instrument". Art and music indeed can play a vital role in times of trouble.
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This well-used pipe organ with exploded shell fragments pointing out of the pipes stays for several months in the middle of the main Railway hall. Directional loudspeakers around the organ were looping reminiscences from the past concerts. An enlighted, spirited monument radiating a comforting aura of sound in an otherwise busy environment.
There were live performances every weekend since December. For me, my two performances became memorable meetings with people, young and old. Some people came from far to listen, some were random bypassers. Some had a difficult life, some had marks from the ongoing war. While showing you pictures of their destroyed house they would thank you for the music that reminded them of their homeplace.
What did I play? Short pieces that I really love and that I thought could give something to a random audience. Connecting with my home Norway - the piece Sæverud wrote as protest against the Second World War invaders (Kjempeviseslåtten), a couple of melancholic Tveitt tunes, some Grieg. Then Bach’s deep, deep c minor BWV 537 for the ending. All mixed with my free improvisations. Started the whole thing with Ukraine’s National Hymn. And yes the mayor of Lviv Andriy Sadoviy was there for Friday's concert, a big honor!
Later on I was invited to the quite fresh Lviv Arts Center, super nice artist-driven space in an abandoned building. There, a spontaneous collaboration happened, involving Grand Mutation, the music I made many years ago with Lasse Marhaug, for their exhibition opening a few days after! I left Ukraine but my sounds and noises will stay there, how amazing isn’t that !!
Thanks to Ribbon International and Українська залізниця / Ukrainian railway for sponsoring arts in the middle of trouble. Thanks to Zhanna Kadyrova for a very meaningful art project and for inviting me
New release: Learn to Wait
Proud to announce the release of this new album where the wonderful Oslo String Quartet plays:
Britten: String Quartet no.1
Asheim: Learn to Wait
Ligeti: String Quartet no.1 (Métamorphoses nocturnes).
Released 8.11.24 on Oslo String Quartet's new label OSQ.
"Mitt Stavanger" exhibition opened
MUST - Museum Stavanger - opened its ambitious exhibition Mitt Stavanger on June 20, as a prelude to the city's 900 years celebration. Nils Henrik Asheim's soundtrack is projected over 160 loudspeakers positioned in the rooms depicting the different epochs. More in-depth information in Norwegian will be found on this page.
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A unique collaboration between museum curators, visual artists and a composer. The installation is open every day and will be accessible at least for two years.
Photo: Jan Inge Haga / MUST. Artwork in the 1900-room: Elin Reboli Melberg.
Work Of The Year awarded to Organotopia
One of three prizes "Work of the Year 2023" was awarded to Nils Henrik Asheim for Organotopia by the Norwegian Society of Composers. Other recipients were composers Tine Surel Lange and Jan Erik Mikalsen. Violinist/conductor Lars Erik ter Jung was Performer of the Year. Read more here. Lytt her: NRK Spillerom - prisutdeling.
Stormen (The Tempest) back at the Norwegian Opera
For the third time since 2014, "Stormen - forteljinga om Ferdinand og Miranda" plays at the Norwegian Opera. About 250 young singers, dancers and musicians make up the double cast that share stage and orchestra pit in 6 sold-out performances, April 11 to 16, 2024. Music: Nils Henrik Asheim, libretto: Rune Belsvik. Video above is from the 2014 performance. More on the piece here.
Welcome to this new website
Please use the menus to explore my catalogue of works, album releases, collaborative projects, organ activities etc.
Feel free to get in touch if you have something to tell me, or ask!
Web design: Anders Hofgaard / NODE
Chevalier des Arts et des lettres
In a ceremony in the French Embassy of Oslo, on November 29, 2023, Nils Henrik Asheim was appointed Knight of the Order of the Arts and Literature. The medal was given by Ambassador Florence Robine. "Asheim has many times collaborated with French musicians and artists, thus creating bridges between Norway and France in the world of contemporary music".
New music video: Hornflowers
Jenny Berger Myhre made the video "...as a visual response to Nils Henrik Asheim's composition, inspired by the kind of details that appear when you are looking at something from very close distance."
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Videokunstner Jenny Berger Myhre sier:
"Musikkvideoen til Hornflowers er laget som en visuell respons på Nils Henrik Asheims komposisjon, inspirert av detaljer som trer fram når man retter fokuset sitt tett på noe. Når jeg lytter til Hornflowers tenker jeg på det livgivende i å se nøyere etter, sette seg ned på huk og virkelig få øye på det man vanligvis overser. Det var dét jeg ønsket å gjenskape i det visuelle. Musikkvideoen er laget utelukkende av analoge stillbilder og håndtegnede animasjoner, og jeg håper at de langsomme transformasjonene gir øyet anledning til å oppdage noe nytt i det kjente, slik som musikken gjør for ørene."
Jenny Berger Myhre (f. 1991) er en multidisiplinær kunstner som arbeider med lyd, fotografi og video. I sin praksis søker hun etter fellesskap; gjennom samarbeid, kuratering, og organisering av konserter, festivaler og residenser. Hun streber etter å skape rom for å lytte sammen, med ønsket om å rette fokuset på lydene og de mentale bildene de skaper i oss. Hun har siden 2013 samarbeidet med en rekke artister, som Jenny Hval og Håvard Volden, Annie Bielski, Susanna Wallumrød, Jo David Meyer Lysne, Johan Lindvall, Natali Abrahamsen Garner og Ina Sagstuen — i tillegg til å lage bestillingsverk og spille på festivaler som Borealis (Bergen), Insomnia (Tromsø), OnlyConnect og Ultimafestivalen (Oslo). Hun er for tiden tildelt Statens Kunstnerstipend for yngre og nyetablerte kunstnere for 2023-2024.
Read more about the composition Hornflowers and about the album