André Orvik

Violinist André Orvik grew up in Tønsberg and got involved in music early.

− I sang in a choir and played the violin from when I was small, he says. This was quite natural in an exceptionally musical family:

− My father, Magne Orvik, was for many years the organist of Trefoldighetskirken. My mother played the cello and my sister, the oboe. My grandfather Rolf Karlsen was cathedral organist in Oslo and teacher at Norges Musikkhøgskole, and my uncle Kjell Mørk Karlsen is an organist and a composer. My other uncle, Harald Karlsen, was Principal Flute player in Stavanger Symphony Orchestra for many years, and I have several cousins who are also musicians. My grandfather, my uncle and my sister Anne Grethe Orvik have played in the Oslo Philharmonic many times.

André´s present colleague, Concertmaster Terje Tønnesen, was one of those who meant the most to him on his way to becoming a musician:

− I was his student from the age of around of ten, and he later became an inspiration and master teacher for me in the Norwegian Chamber Orchestra. Others who have made significant contributions to my development were Leif Jørgensen, who was my teacher at Østlandet´s Music Conservatory, and not least Camilla Wicks, with whom I studied for four years in Houston, Texas.

Music is like an additional universe

André was engaged by the Oslo Philharmonic Orchestra in 1994 and became Second Concertmaster in 2006. He has been a soloist with his own and other orchestras several times, and has participated in numerous festivals and a great number of recordings. He takes pleasure in the many possibilities he has to express himself through music:

− I have always thought it fantastic to play the great works by Brucker, Mahler, Strauss and so on, but I´m also very fond of playing Baroque music, especially the great Passions by Bach. It´s wonderful to be able to tell a story or express an emotion through music. It is like an additional universe with another language, other words and expressive possibilities!

His best advice for a better concert experience is to familiarise oneself with the music:

− I think one gets more out of the concert if one is a bit familiar with the music already. So it might not be a bad idea to listen through it on Spotify or similar beforehand.