Terje Isungset (born May 4, 1964) is a Norwegian drummer. From his background in

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a m ...

and traditional Scandinavian music, he has designed musical instruments from non-traditional materials, including ice.

Career

Arve Henriksen and Terje Isungset 2015-12-04

Isungset was raised in

Geilo is a centre in the municipality of Hol in Viken county, Norway. Geilo is primarily a ski resort town, with around 2,500 inhabitants. It is situated in the valley of Hallingdal, 250 km from Oslo and 260 km from Bergen. The Bergen Line ...

where he played traditional dance music with his father (accordion) during his high school days. Moving to

Bergen Bergen (), historically Bjørgvin, is a city and municipality in Vestland county on the west coast of Norway. , its population is roughly 285,900. Bergen is the second-largest city in Norway. The municipality covers and is on the peninsula o ...

in 1984 led him to be a popular member of a number of Bergen groups, such as Ictus and Tordenskjolds soldater (1984–85), Growl and Gruv (1984-88), Saksbehandlerne and Night and Day (1985–86), Salsa Pati (1985–87), and Supply (1985–88), in addition to periods within the Big Band Emanon from 1986, and his recording debut ''Amalgamation'' (1985) with Kenneth Sivertsen. Isungset is, after more than two decades on the jazz scene, one of Europe's most accomplished and innovative percussionists. With more than 25 years experience in jazz and Scandinavian traditional music he raises these narrow forms of music far beyond their traditional boundaries, becoming more like a crossover between a sound artist and a shaman. When crafting his own instruments from Norwegian natural elements such as arctic birch, granite, slate, sheep bells and even ice, he is highly recommended to those sensible to the poetry and simplicity of sounds. His work is highly acclaimed in the press, often described as innovative, visual, energetic, and different from any previously known concepts. His love for ice music was raised in 1999 when the commission of the winterfestival at Lillehammer asked him to compose and play in a frozen waterfall. He has invented the concept of icemusic, and also invented a way to perform icemusic indoor in ordinary concert halls, doing around 50 indoor ice concerts every year. CNN calls Isungset the first and only icemusician in the world. Isungset has been commissioned to compose music for jazz festivals, dance performances, theatre, and film, with 41 commissioned concerts. He has released ten solo albums and is now doing most of his work internationally. Solo concerts, with his band or in collaboration with other artists. In 2006 he had the idea of creating an icemusic festival and started the Ice Music Festival at Geilo, Norway organized by Pål Knutsson Medhus. He is also the founding manager of the record label All Ice Records. His most recent project is the Glassmusic together with

Arve Henriksen Arve Henriksen (born 22 March 1968) is a Norwegian trumpeter. Career Henriksen was born in Stranda and educated on the Jazz program at Trondheim Musikkonservatorium; he later studied music pedagogy, while he played in «Bodega Band» (1987� ...

. They released an album named ''World of Glass'' in late 2014. The recordings were largely made in front of a live audience in Tallinn. All the instruments were made from glass by students from the Estonian Academy of Arts. He is a member of the bandsGroupa (Sweden), Utla and Isglem. He has ongoing duos with Per Jørgensen, Arve Henriksen, Sissel Vera Pettersen, Didier Petit, Therese Skauge, Jorma Tapio and Stian Westerhus. For the 2017 Vossajazz festival, Isungset was commissioned to compose new music for a new band. Isungset is also an associate professor at the Grieg Academy, University of Bergen.

Honors

* 1996: Vossajazzprisen * 2016:''Financial Times'' named Isungset as one of the "First persons". * 2008:

Edvardprisen The Edvard Prize is a Norwegian music award in given by TONO, copyright organization for musicians and composers. The award, which was first awarded in 1998, is awarded annually and can only be awarded to members of the organization. The goal is t ...

in the Open class for the album ''Igloo''

Projects

*2010: ''Organic expressions'', project with three dancers (Rebecca Hytting, Guro Rimeslåtten, Christine Kjellberg) from the Carte Blanche Dance Company *2012: ''Isslottet'', at the Oslo Opera and Ballet

Discography

Solo albums

*1997: ''Reise'' (

NorCD NorCD (established 1991 in Oslo, Norway) is a Norwegian record label for folk, jazz, world music and improvisational music, led by the founder saxophonist and composer Karl Seglem. NorCD is distributed through Musikkoperatørene, and is a member ...

) *2000: ''Floating Rhythms'' (Via Music) *2002: ''Iceman Is'' (All Ice Records) ( Jazzland/

Virgin Virginity is the state of a person who has never engaged in sexual intercourse. The term ''virgin'' originally only referred to sexually inexperienced women, but has evolved to encompass a range of definitions, as found in traditional, modern ...

), with

*2003: ''Middle of Mist'' (NorCD) *2006: ''Igloo'' (All Ice Records), nominated for

Spellemannprisen Spellemannprisen, often referred to as the Norwegian Grammy Awards in English, is a Norwegian music award presented to Norwegian musicians. The award was established by the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI), an organizat ...

in the class Jazz, with

Sidsel Endresen Sidsel Endresen (born 19 June 1952) is a Norwegian singer, composer, and actress. She was part of the Jon Eberson group. Since 1987, Endresen has pursued a successful solo career, recording for ECM. Career Endresen was one of the most pronou ...

*2007: ''Two Moons'' (All Ice Records), with Per Jørgensen *2008: ''Ice Concerts'' (All Ice Records) *2009: ''Hibernation'' (All Ice Records) *2010: ''Winter Songs'' (All Ice Records) *2014: ''World Of Glass'' (All Ice Records), with

*2015: ''Meditations'' (All Ice Records) *2015: ''Terje Isungset & Stian Westerhus'' (All Ice Records), with Stian Westerhus *2015: ''Isslottet'' (All Ice Records) *2016: ''Oase'' Terje Isungset & Sissel Vera Pettersen (All Ice Records) *2019: ''Sildrande'' (All Ice Records) Terje Isungset with

Mats Eilertsen Mats Eilertsen (born 4 March 1975) is a Norwegian jazz musician and composer. He is known for recording with numerous bands, including the Maria Kannegaard Trio, Ola Kvernberg, Nils Økland, Eldbjørg Raknes, Anders Aarum Trio, Eirik Hegdal, Sv ...

, Nils Økland,

Morten Qvenild Morten Qvenild (born 31 August 1978) is a Norwegian jazz pianist, band leader, and producer. Career Qvenild started his jazz career in the big band Ung Musikk in 1995, followed by studies on the Jazz program at the Norges Musikkhøgskole. He u ...

, Sissel Vera Pettersen & others

Collaborative works

;With Kenneth Sivertsen *1985: ''Amalgamation'' (Hot Club Records), including

Knut Riisnæs Knut Riisnæs (born 13 November 1945) is a Norwegian jazz musician (saxophone and flute), arranger, and composer, son of pianist Eline Nygaard Riisnæs and brother of classical pianist Anne Eline Riisnæs (1951–) and jazz saxophonist Odd Riis ...

and

Bjørn Kjellemyr Bjørn Kjellemyr (born 4 December 1950 in Bamble, Norway) is a jazz double bassist, known from a variety of musical contexts like Terje Rypdal & The Chasers, Joe Henderson, Bob Berg, Chet Baker, Art Farmer, Pat Metheny, Mike Stern, Dag Arnesen, K ...

;Within

Karl Seglem Karl Seglem (born 8 July 1961 in Årdalstangen, Norway) is a Norwegian Jazz musician (saxophone and bukkehorn), composer and producer, known from a series of combined jazz and traditional music releases, as well as leading his own record label ...

's Sogn-A-Song *1991: '' Sogn-A-Song'' (

) *1994: ''Rit'' (NorCD) ;Within Isglem (duo with Karl Seglem) *1991: ''Rom'' (NorCD) *1992: ''To Steg'' (

) *1996: ''Null G'' (NorCD) *2003: ''Fire'' (NorCD) *2016: "Femte" (NorCD) ;Within Orleysa, fest. Tore Brunborg *1991: ''Orleysa'' ( Odin Records) *1993: ''Svanshornet'' (Odin Records) ;Within Utla (including Håkon Høgemo and Karl Seglem) *1992: ''Utla'' (NorCD) *1993: ''Juv'' (NorCD) *1995: ''Brodd'' (NorCD) *1999: ''Dans'' (NorCD) *2003: ''Song'' (NorCD), feat. Berit Opheim Versto ;Within Groupa (including Jonas Simonson and Mats Edén) *1999: ''Lavalek'' (Xource) *2008: ''Frost'' (Footprint) *2014: ''Silent Folk'' (Footprint) *2016: "Kind of folk,vol1. Sweden. (All Ice Records) ;With others *1995: '' Haugtussa'' (

Kirkelig Kulturverksted Kirkelig Kulturverksted (KKV) is a Norwegian company and record label, founded in 1974 by Erik Hillestad. Among the musicians who have issued records on the label are Ketil Bjørnstad, Kari Bremnes, Erik Bye, Ole Paus, Sigvart Dagsland, Bjørn E ...

), with poems by

Arne Garborg Arne Garborg (born Aadne Eivindsson Garborg) (25 January 1851 – 14 January 1924) was a Norwegian writer. Garborg championed the use of Landsmål (now known as Nynorsk, or New Norwegian), as a literary language; he translated the Odyssey into ...

(including Lynni Treekrem,

Annbjørg Lien Annbjørg Lien (born 15 October 1971) is a Norwegian musician, playing the hardingfele (Hardanger fiddle), violin, and nyckelharpa. Career She first came to national prominence in 1986. Shortly afterwards got a recording deal with the Heilo ...

Arild Andersen Arild Andersen (born 27 October 1945) is a Norwegian jazz musician bassist, known as the most famous Norwegian bass player in the international jazz scene. Career Andersen was born at Strømmen, Norway. He started his musical career as jazz g ...

, Børge Petersen-Øverleir, Hans Fredrik Jacobsen,

Ketil Bjørnstad Ketil Bjørnstad (born 25 April 1952) is a pianist, composer and author. Initially trained as a classical pianist, Bjørnstad discovered jazz at an early age and has embraced the emergence of "European jazz". Store Norske Leksikon (in Norwegian) ...

, Per Hillestad and Tone Hulbækmo) *1995: ''Det syng'' (Kirkelig Kulturverksted), with Lynni Treekrem *1996: ''Prosa'' (NorCD), with poems by Jon Fosse (including Arve Henriksen, Håkon Høgemo, Karl Seglem and

Reidar Skår Reidar Skår (born 13 March 1964 in Øvre Årdal, Sogn og Fjordane, Norway) is a Norwegian musician (keyboards), composer and music producer, known from several recordings and cooperations with the likes of Karl Seglem, Jacob Young, Arve Henrik ...

) *1996: ''Tya - frå Bor til Bytes'' (NorCD), with Elin Rosseland,

and Reidar Skår *1998: '' Spir'' (NorCD), with Karl Seglem, Berit Opheim Versto, Morten Sæle and Audun Erlien *1999: ''Bergtatt'', with Grete Helgerød and Oslo Kammerkor *2000: ''Daa'' (NorCD), trio with

and Karl Seglem *2001: ''Shadows And Light'' (FMR Records), duo with

Frode Gjerstad Frode Gjerstad (born 24 March 1948) is a Norwegian jazz musician with alto saxophone as principal instrument, but he also plays other saxophones, clarinet, and flute. He has collaborated with Paal Nilssen-Love, Borah Bergman, Peter Brötzmann, ...

*2004: ''New North'' (NorCD), with Karl Seglem *2005: ''Didier Petit - Terje Isungset'' (Vossa Jazz Records), duo with Didier Petit live at Vossajazz 2003 *2006: ''Aihki'' (Ektro Records), duo with Jorma Tapio *2006: ''Sáivu'', with Arve Henriksen and Torgeir Vassvik *2006: ''On the Great Alkali Plains'' (Jester Records), with Espen Jørgensen *2008: ''Agbalagba Daada'' (Ektro Records), duo with Per Jørgensen *2008: ''Laden With Rain'' (FMR Records), duo with Stian Westerhus *2008: ''Sådagen'' (Etnisk musikklubb), with Eilif Gundersen, Gunnlaug Lien Myhr and Tor Egil Kreken *2011: ''City Stories'' (NorCD), with Daniel Herskedal *2011: ''Beginner's Guide to Scandinavia'' (Nascente/Virgin), with various artists

References

External links

*
Ice Music websiteAll Ice Records websiteNorwegian Ice Festival websitewww.glassmusic.nowww.groupa.seFoxy Digitalis interview, 2006
{{DEFAULTSORT:Isungset, Terje 1964 births Living people Norwegian composers Norwegian male composers 20th-century Norwegian drummers 21st-century Norwegian drummers Norwegian jazz drummers Male drummers Norwegian percussionists Musicians from Hol Musicians from Bergen Norwegian musical instrument makers NorCD artists 20th-century drummers 20th-century Norwegian male musicians 21st-century Norwegian male musicians Male jazz musicians Trondheim Jazz Orchestra members Geir Lysne Listening Ensemble members Agbaland members Jazzland Recordings (1997) artists FMR Records artists