THE NORDIC VOICES SPECTRUM
Country: Norway
Vocal ensembles have been a well-established practice since humans began to sing together.
Many of these singers and ensembles have been extremely successful, especially the ensembles that have risen to notoriety during the 20th and 21st century (Hilliard Ensemble, King’s Singers, I Fagiolini, Neue Vocalsolisten Stuttgart, Singer Pur, Trio Mediaeval, and Nordic Voices).
This presentation will investigate two questions; how the valuable skills learnt in vocal ensemble practice can be transferred to other practices (like choir singing) and secondly, how specific new, folkloristic vocal techniques used by the Nordic Voices ensemble have been an enhancement to traditional classical singing.
Frank Havrøy, born 1969, is a singer and composer from Norway. He has been a singer with the Norwegian vocal ensemble Nordic Voices since 1997 and has toured with them all over the world. He has released several recordings both as a singer with Nordic Voices and as a solo artist.
Frank studied at the Academy of Music in Oslo, the Norwegian Opera Academy and at the Norwegian Academy of Music. As a singer he has also studied under Folke Bengtsson and Svein Bjørkøy.
Since graduating Frank has explored a huge variety of musical genres, especially within contemporary music and music theatre. He has performed with most symphony orchestras in Norway and has a long reputation as a concert singer. As a composer he has especially focused on choir music, and his compositions have reached a wide audience, being regularly performed.
Havrøy is head of the department for voice, conducting, and church music and an associate professor in singing and chamber music at the Norwegian Academy of Music in Oslo.