Marius Neset

New music spanning the entire scale of musical emotions.

Composer and saxophonist Marius Neset from Os performed the world premiere of his third collaborative project with the contemporary orchestra London Sinfonietta, and did so in none other than the Royal Albert Hall during the BBC Proms last September.

The commissioned piece is called Geyser and was written for a jazz quintet and chamber orchestra. The reception in London was good: «With an expanded palette to play with, and the world's most famous concert hall to fill, Neset ran riot in a spellbinding performance that ran the gamut of musical emotions and secured energetic applause and hollering, and three curtain calls», wrote the London Jazz News.

The composer initially saw the piece as a post-pandemic celebration of music itself and of the special atmosphere that arises when musicians meet to perform together. Then, Russia invaded Ukraine, and Neset felt the need to re-visit what he had written, to dismantle elements, loosen structures and inject a sense of darkness and despair. Thus, the metaphor in the title gained even more layers.

During this concert at the Bergen International Festival, Geyser will be performed for the first time in Norway. Joining Neset and his band is the BIT20 Ensemble.

Photo: Roar Vestad