Berit Opheim Versto (born 18 June 1967 in

Voss Voss () is a Municipalities of Norway, municipality and a Districts of Norway, traditional district in Vestland Counties of Norway, county, Norway. The administrative center of the municipality is the village of Vossevangen. Other villages inclu ...

Norway Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic countries, Nordic country located on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. The remote Arctic island of Jan Mayen and the archipelago of Svalbard also form part of the Kingdom of ...

) is a Norwegian singer, known for her interpretations of

folk music Folk music is a music genre that includes #Traditional folk music, traditional folk music and the Contemporary folk music, contemporary genre that evolved from the former during the 20th-century folk revival. Some types of folk music may be ca ...

Career

Opheim studied at

Bergen Musikkonservatorium The Grieg Academy () is a disputed historical term used to refer to the higher education music programs in Bergen, Norway (birthplace of composer Edvard Grieg), as well as various collaborations across music institutions in Bergen. However, since 2 ...

(1987–90) and Norges Musikkhøgskole (1990–92), and has worked since 1992 for the Ole Bull Academy in

, as well as engagements at NTNU and Norges Musikkhøgskole. Opheim was the front figure in Orleysa (multiple releases), a soloist in Bergen Domkantori (release in 1990). A recording of ''kveding'' (a traditional Norwegian singing style) from Urnes stavkirke resulted in her debut ''Eitt steg'' ( NorCD, 1996) which won her a

Spellemannprisen The Spellemannprisen (also referred to as the Norwegian Grammy Awards) is a Norwegian music award ceremony presented by International Federation of the Phonographic Industry#Local associations, IFPI Norge and :no:FONO, FONO. It was first awarded i ...

nomination. A long-held interest in history resulted in the book ''Solè mi sela'' (Ole Bull Academy, 1996), a collection of texts from

. She has led the Småkvedarane from

to a release ( NorCD, 1998) and has also been active in the Voss Spellemannslag. She has also worked on many releases by Utla. Recently, she has been a soloist with the BIT20 Ensemble on a number of records, won the Landskappleiken, played the role of ''Månefruva'' (The Queen of the Night) in a

version of

The Magic Flute ''The Magic Flute'' (, ), K. 620, is an opera in two acts by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart to a German libretto by Emanuel Schikaneder. It is a ''Singspiel'', a popular form that included both singing and spoken dialogue. The work premiered on ...

, with the

Rikskonsertene Concerts Norway () was established in 1967 on the initiative of the Arts Council Norway (), with its main purpose described as follows: "Concerts Norway is to make living music of high artistic quality accessible to all people in the country." The ...

(2004) and won the

Gammleng-prisen The Gammleng Award () is a Norwegian culture award created by ''The Fund for Performing Artists'' in 1982, 25 years after the fund was established in 1957. The award's official name is the ''Rolf Gammleng award to performing artists'' (). It's awa ...

in the folk music category in 2003. In 2005 she performed with «Sullekoppane» (

Ole Hamre Ole Hamre (born 20 October 1959) is a Norwegian drummer. He has worked with Bugge Wesseltoft, Kari Bremnes, Ole Paus, Ketil Bjørnstad, Frode Alnæs, Silje Nergaard, Arve Henriksen and Knut Reiersrud. (in Norway) Career Hamre is known for his ...

and Yngve Ådland). In the «BNB» trio, she has since 1998 played with the violinist

Nils Økland Nils Andreas Økland (10 June 1882 – 1969) was a Norwegian Esperantist and teacher in Stord (Hordaland), Norway. He spent some years in his youth on the island Utsira, where his father was a school teacher. Nils Økland was married to Ha ...

and bassist

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 ...

. They released ''Ein Song For Dei Utsungne Stunder'' (2005) with their own compositions. Opheim was a soloist in the song for Dei nynorske festspela 2006, ''Ny rørsle'' by

Karl Seglem Karl Seglem (born 8 July 1961) 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 NorCD from 1991. Care ...

. Her other release is ''Den blide sol'' ( NorCD, 2007) with organist Sigbjørn Apeland recorded at Voss kirke.

Honors

*1992: Landkappleiken winner *1994: Sagaprisen *1995: Landkappleiken winner *1996: Landkappleiken winner *2000: Forbrukersamvirkets kulturpris *2003: Badnajazz-prisen *2004: Landkappleiken winner *2004:

Gammleng Award The Gammleng Award () is a Norwegian culture award created by ''The Fund for Performing Artists'' in 1982, 25 years after the fund was established in 1957. The award's official name is the ''Rolf Gammleng award to performing artists'' (). It's awa ...

*2005: Statens Kunstnerstipend (2005–06) *2005: Vossajazz-prisen *2006: Soloist in ''Ny rørsle'' for Dei nynorske festspela, by

*2007: Commissioned work for

Vossajazz Vossajazz or Vossa Jazz (established 19 December 1973) is an international jazz festival in Voss, Norway, which takes place annually during the week before Easter, and which also includes concerts throughout the year. The festival has been led by ...

''Ein engel går stilt''

Discography

Solo albums

*1996: ''Eitt Steg'' ( NorCD), nominated for the

1997 *2000: ''Syng'', with Småkvedarane frå Voss *2007: ''Den Blide Sol'' (NorCD), with Sigbjørn Apeland *2007: ''Solo-CD med slåttetralling'' *2007: ''Per Indrehus/O.H. Hauge'', with

Dag Arnesen Dag Syver Arnesen (born 3 May 1950) is a Norwegian jazz pianist with a series of album releases. Career Arnesen was born in Bergen, and studied classical piano under Jiri Hlinka at the Bergen Music Conservatory and got a commitment by Den ...

and Kåre Opheim *2008: ''Slåttar På Tunga'' (2L Records), with Dag Arnesen

Collaborations

*1990: ''Norske Arvestykker'', within Bergen Domkantori as soloist *1991: ''Orleysa'', within Orleysa *1993: ''Svanshornet'', within Orleysa *1994: ''Rit'' (NorCD), with

's Sogn-A-Song *1995: ''Dåm'', with Oslo Kammerkor *1995: ''Brodd'', within Utla *1995: ''Definitely Pling Plong'' *1996: ''Blå Harding'', with Nils Økland *1998: ''Dedicaces'', with Gilles Obermayer *1998: ''Spir'' (NorCD), with Karl Seglem's Sogn-A-Song *1998: ''Folketonar frå Hordaland'', Reidun Horvei *1998: ''Fryd'' ( Vossa Jazz Records), with Einar Mjølsnes, Per Jørgensen, Sigbjørn Apeland and

*1999: ''Bergtatt'' within Oslo Kammerkor, nominated for the

2000 *2000: ''Straum'', with Nils Økland *2002: ''Nye Nord'', with Karl Seglem *2003: ''Skal/Skal Ikkje'', with Kvarts *2005: ''Ein Song For Dei Utsungne Stunder'' (2L Records), within BNB Trio *2005: ''Løp, Lokk Og Linjar'', with Lasse Thoresen & BIT 20 *2008: ''Fodne Ho Svara Stilt'' (Heilo catalog, Heilo Records), with Benedicte Maurseth, Åsne Valland Nordli & Kristin Skaare *2009: ''Draumkvedet'', with Karl Seglem

Bibliography

*1995/1996: ''Solæ mi sela'', Collected and transcribed folk songs from Vossabygdene in the book with corresponding tape that the Ole Bull Academy released in 1996. Pictures and history of sources in addition to the music specifications.

References

External links

*
Biography
at 'Norsk Musikkinformasjon' MIC.no {{DEFAULTSORT:Opheim, Berit Norwegian women folk singers Norwegian folk singers Norwegian jazz singers Norwegian women jazz singers Norwegian traditional musicians Heilo Music artists Norwegian Academy of Music alumni Musicians from Voss 1967 births Living people NorCD artists