Born in Trondheim 1952. The Music Conservatory of Bergen (now The Grieg Academy) 1969-1971 (Church musician, composition studies with Ketil Hvoslef). Royal College of Music in Stockholm 1971-1972 (composition studies with Ingvar Lidholm).

Full time composer since 1974. Has written commissioned works for the large orchestras of the country, for choirs like Bergen Cathedral Choir and The Norwegian Soloists Choir, for chamber ensembles like the Oslo String Quartet and Grieg Trio, and for soloists like Geir Inge Lotsberg (violin), Arvid Engegård (Hardanger fiddle), Njål Vindenes (guitar), Jan Hovden (piano), Geir Draugsvoll (accordeon), Bjørn Ianke (double bass), Eirik Birkeland (bassoon), Øyvind Bjorå (violin), Willy Postma (harp), Jun Zhi Cui (Chinese harp), Nils Økland (Hardanger fiddle), Ellen Sejersted Bødtker (harps), Kåre Nordstoga (organ) and many others.

Held the state of Norway’s garanteed minimum wage for artists from 1979, but now recieves a senior scholarship from the state. Was awarded the city of Berlin’s “Europäischer Komponistenpreis” 2006 for the work ’tisn’t the snow falling, it’s us leaving the ground, commissioned and performed by the Norwegian Youth Symphony Orchestra. Was awarded the state of Norway’s “Arne Nordheims Komponistpris” 2009 and TONO’s “Edvard-prisen” 2014.

Has since 1975 given different seminars in composition and improvisation around the country. Teaches the subjects “Intuitive composition/improvisation and music philosophy” (BA), “To create meaning” (MA) and “Playful truth-approach” (MA) at Volda University College as a professor II.

Albums

The Broken Vessel

Release Date: March 9, 2018
Catalog Number: RR7983
21st Century
Avant-Garde
Chamber
Percussion
Trumpet
With THE BROKEN VESSEL, Andreas Barth, Geir Hjorthol and Magnar Åm take the concept of “industrial music” to a whole new level. The recording took place in an abandoned Norwegian factory, “The Propeller Hall,” utilizing everything from the acoustics in the building to the muffled sounds of traffic outside its walls. In this way the building became a partner in a concrete as well as a metaphorical way in creating the music of this ten-track album.