King Harald has appointed Nils Henrik Asheim as Knight of the Royal Order of St.Olav.  The order was handed over in a ceremony hosted by the Mayor of Stavanger on September 11, 2018. 

Nils Henrik Asheim utnevnt til ridder (Stavanger Aftenblad)

Retten til si eiga stemme (Stavanger Aftenblad)

Nils Henrik Asheim er blitt orgelets reddende ridder (Vårt Land)

Nils Henrik Asheim en verdig ridder (Rogalands Avis)

Reviews of CD “Grieg and Tveitt for organ” from press and websites:

"...a fullfilled work of art, maybe the most important Norwegian organ recording in many years." "...Asheim shows a deep respect for Grieg and Tveitt's worlds of sound and finds a natural balance between their music and his own interpretation. Nothing less than impressive."  (Orgelspeilet).

“Asheim opened up new horizons. We heard the pieces as new, different, but with the rich sonorities from Tveitt’s compositions taken care of.” (Stavanger Aftenblad)

“The enormous power of the organ turns Grieg’s Ballade to a much mightier piece than ususal… The granite-hard force of the mountains unleash cascades of sound. It sounds heavenly and almost supernatural… Geirr Tveitts Hardingtones appear with a simple, melodic beauty, in a completely different way than in the orchestra or piano versions.” (Kulturspeilet)

“Asheim is a skilled virtuoso, and he manages to create clarity in the most breathless parts of Grieg… I can perceive a dramatical thread through the whole piece, which is unusual… All in all, this record is quite a find. The music is fabulously played, the works are just as well re-composed through both transcription and registrations.” (Klassekampen)

“In a superb way Asheim unveils the excellences of sound in the organ of Stavanger concert hall. Tveitt… is a guide into the halls of Nature mysticism, through sounds that Norway had not heard before. This is what Asheim, a true master of the organ, reveals with both smoothness and virtuososity.” (Vårt Land)

"Not only are the pieces given new life in unexpected ways - the organ as an instrument itself appears refreshingly unfamiliar. The huge instrument-machine engenders a sound that oscillates between concrete connotation and abstract figure." (Morgenbladet)

Stunning visuals to the nature poetry of Geirr Tveitts music transcribed for organ.

Nils Henrik Asheim is nominated for "Muohta - language of snow", a work for choir and string orchestra premiered in 2017 by Det Norske Solistkor and Ensemble Allegria. 13 composers from 8 Nordic countries are nominated for the Nordic Council Music Prize.

Here, from www.musikpris.com:

Muohta for choir and string orchestra was composed as a response to Joseph Haydn’s The Seasons from 1801, and immediately followed the classical Summer at its premiere in the autumn of 2017. Inherent in the work are uncomfortable undertones:

Lawo Classics present Nils Henrik Asheim's first recording from the organ of Stavanger konserthus.  Asheim's own transcriptions of Edvard Grieg's Ballade for piano opus 24 and excerpts from Geirr Tveitt's Hundrad Hardingtonar. Release concert May 25, Stavanger konserthus.

lwc1151 nils henrik asheim grieg tveitt cover

I compiled some excerpts from improvised organ concerts over the last few years. You can hear the 62 minutes mix here on SVS radio. Layered, slow-evolving music. Organs: 00:00 St.Petri, Stavanger - 09:56 Fagerborg, Oslo - 15:33 Oslo Cathedral - 26:40 Mariakirken, Århus - 42:56 St.Esprit, Paris - 48:32 Ørgryte, Gothenburg.

Singing Stones a piece that explores how to fuse the sonorities of brass and organ. It is loosely based on Martin Luther's chorale "Ein feste Burg ist unser Gott", that is, on a setting by Stephane Mahu (d.1541). Some fragments of it may be heard towards the end of the piece. The piece was commisioned by NyNorsk Messingkvintett and premiered by this excellent ensemble together with organist Anders Eidsten Dahl, on Nov.18, 2017 in Bragernes Church, Drammen. The following day, the performance was repeated in Sofienberg Church, Oslo.

The first performance of Muohta was given by the Norwegian Soloists' Choir and Ensemble Allegria. Muohta is Sami for "Snow" and the piece is based on 18 snow-related words from that language. Performances took place in Nøtterøy and Vang churches, and finally on October 28 in Oslo, Universitetets Aula. Grete Pedersen conducted.

This piece was commissioned for a concert programme that also featured The Seasons (excerpts) by Joseph Haydn. Click below for more info...