Oyvind Torvund

Øyvind Torvund (born 1976 in Porsgrunn) is a Norwegian composer.

He studied composition at the Norwegian Academy of Music (Oslo) and Universität der Künste (Berlin); equally important is his background as a guitarist in rock and improvising groups. He has ongoing relationship with groups such as asamisimasa (Norway), Oslo Sinfonietta and Plus-Minus ensemble (UK), as well as the video artist Yorgos Sapountzis.

Torvund has been a composer in residence for Oslo Sinfonietta, written pieces for ensemble Ascolta, Ensemble Zwischentöne, Trondheim Symphony Orchestra, Plus Minus ensemble and Yarn/Wire. His pieces have been performed in Donaueschinger Musiktage, Maerzmusik, Ultraschall, Ultima Oslo Contemporary Music Festival, Transit festival, Huddersfield Contemporary Music Festival, Other Minds festival and at the Darmstadt International Ferienkurse.

Key Torvund works includes "Giants of Jazz" (sax, accordion, double bass). "How Sound Travels" (orchestra), the improvisation series "Bandrom", "Tune Park" (chamber ensemble), "Wolf Studies" (sextet), "Forest Construction" (chamber ensemble), "Krull Quest" (cello, electronics) and "The Stacks " (quartertone marimba or cello and elecronics).

Although some of Torvund's works, such as the Nono and Scelsi inspired orchestral piece How Sound Travels (2006), are easily located under the umbrella of contemporary classical music, many of his pieces combine sounds and concepts from other musical traditions. In Power Art (2006), for soprano, guitar and 2-stringed bass, the bass instrument is built by the performer and the piece "is reminiscent of the musical feel of hardcore power trios like Black Flag, even if a song by Henry Purcell is the piece’s foundation." In Album Cycle (2004) for 9 instruments, he "layers typical Baroque figures, the décor of garish 1980s pop, and stereotypical free jazz riffs, resulting in a tableau of musical ornamentation crossing styles and eras, oscillating between the exalted and the banal."

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