KNUT ERIK JENSEN, NORWEGIAN CONCERT PIANIST & TENOR

See that Nordic figure breaching the crest of that dune over there? No it it not a mirage. Mr. Knut Erik Jensen will be arriving in our beautiful desert on March 27. Mr. Jensen has volunteered to help the Guild team at the Palm Springs Opera Guild Member Information area for Opera In The Park on Sunday, March 28. Stop by and say hello and wish a welcome to this Norwegian concert pianist and accomplished tenor who will be calling the desert his home. We will soon be seeing and hearing Mr. Jensen on many of the noted stages and venues of our valley.

The Norwegian pianist was born in the small town of Hell, Norway on the 6th of March 1981, and was raised in Selbu.

Here in the US he has performed the Grieg A-minor Concerto with the Minot Symphony Orchestra conducted by Dennis Simons. He also cooperated with the Norwegian Embassy and the Norwegian General Consulates in the USA performing cultural outreach and performed at the Rice University in Houston, Texas.

In 2009, Knut Erik played his "Nordic Elegance" program about 35 times in the USA. He was also invited to the Republic of Moldova to perform the Grieg concerto with the National Philharmonic Orchestra of Moldova.

In 2006, Knut Erik was aaccepted as a master student of performing piano at the Music Institute in Trondheim. The musical emphasis has been Russian music centered around the composer Alexander Scriabin.

He has done Russian recitals in the Trondheim area and did his masters exam in May 2009 performing the Scriabin piano concerto with the Trondheim Symphony Orchestra.

In 2007, accompanied the Norwegian soprano star Janne Berglund.

Knut Erik has just finished a long-term artist residency at the Banff Centre in Alberta, Canada to improve his skills further and to prepare his new program "From Grieg to Gershwin."

His latest program, a tribute to Emmy Award winning pianist and Palm Springs resident Earl Wild who died in January of this year.


SINDING-RUSTLE OF SPRING (Frühlingsrauchen)
The famous Rustle of Spring by the Norwegian composer Christian Sinding. Performed by Norwegian pianist Knut Erik Jensen in a performance called Nordic Elegance at Whidbey Island, Washington, USA September 13th 2009.




The Man I Love - Gershwin/Earl Wild
From Earl Wilds 7 virtuoso etudes on Gershwin songs.