Biography
Having recently graduated with a DipRAM award from the Royal Academy of Music in London, Thormod Rønning Kvam enjoys the creativity involved in being a musician of the 21st century. He has a driving force to create projects that invite audiences to interact and explore classical music from within — often with a strong poetic quality.
The current season includes soloist tours with The Norwegian Wind Ensemble and conductor Christian Eggen, festival appearances across Norway and recitals in UK. Following his work as Artistic Director and Founder of Aulaseriene, he was elected Associate of the Royal Academy of Music (ARAM) in recognition of his ‘significant contribution to the music profession’.
In 2024, he was awarded the Nils Larsen Debut Prize and the Fegersten Grant, supporting his first international solo tour and debut recording. Further recent highlights include performances in London's Wigmore Hall, Harpa in Reykjavik, the Norwegian Opera and Stockholm Concert House, as well as festival appearances at Trondheim Chamber Music Festival, Nordlysfestivalen, Glogerfestspillene, Norsjø kammermusikkfest and many more.
Collaborations with musicians such as Guro Kleven Hagen, Eldbjørg Hemsing, Eivind Ringstad, Ludvig Gudim and Eir Inderhaug also reflect an important part of his credentials.
Thormod has performed for the Norwegian Royal Family on several occasions, and has also been on the classical jury for the Norwegian Spellemann (Grammy) Awards. He contributed to Richard Stokes’ newest book, The Complete Songs of Hugo Wolf: Life, Letters, Lieder.
Amongst his current inspirations are composers such as Debussy, Janáček, Schumann, Sibelius and Shostakovich. Music from the tumultuous years of 1910-25 seem more relevant than ever—a parallel Thormod wishes to showcase through several projects in the coming seasons, including new commissions from contemporary composers.
Thormod has been working widely in developing new concepts and audiences for various organisations, amongst these the Risør Chamber Music Festival and the Edvard Munch Ensemble. He is Artistic Director and Founder of Aulaseriene, a Norwegian chamber music series in Oslo, Bergen and Ramme to which he invites established as well as young artists. Based in the historically renowned Oslo University Aula, the beautiful Bergen University Aula and the newly opened Edvard Munch-destination Ramme, Thormod believes that classical music gains from being contextualised and presented together with a variety of arts.
He has previously received the Musician of the Year prize from the Forsberg and Aulie Foundation, one of Norway’s most acknowledged grants for young artists. He was also awarded the Dobloug Foundation Scholarship generously supporting his London Master of Arts degree, as well as the Yamaha Music Foundation Scholarship during his studies in Oslo. Furthermore, in 2017 he was selected for Talent Norway's extensive ArtEx programme for performers embarking on international careers across music, acting, dance and film, resulting in cross-art collaborations with artists such as Kåre Conradi (The Ibsen Company) and Ola B. Johannessen, amongst others. In 2015 he took on a 2-year development programme designed exclusively for young voluntary leaders, hosted by the Norwegian Bank Savings Foundation.
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From 2010, Thormod commenced his undergraduate studies at the Barratt Due Institute of Music in Oslo under Prof. Jiří Hlínka. In 2015 he enrolled at the Royal Academy of Music, studying Master of Arts followed by Professional Diploma under Profs. Christopher Elton and Diana Ketler, and with Michael Dussek in chamber music, graduating with distinction and a DipRAM award in 2019.
Thormod has also studied and attended masterclasses with pianists such as Gordon Back, Leif Ove Andsnes, Jens Harald Bratlie, Liv Glaser, Wolfgang Plagge, Erling Ragnar Eriksen, Håvard Gimse, Christian Ihle Hadland, James Baillieu, Hamish Milne, Joseph Middleton, Gabriela Montero, Cristina Ortiz, Simon Trpçeski, Jeffrey Swann, and others.