Oslo
Philharmonic
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Musicians

In my youth, music opened up an exciting possibility for creative expression and social contact, says the cellist Ole Morten Gimle. A Finnish composer and a Finnish conductor also played crucial roles in his decision to become a professional musician:

− When I played Sibelius’ Symphony No. 2 with Okko Kamu conducting, I decided to study music.

− The music is a safe haven

Ole Morten was engaged by the Oslo Philharmonic Orchestra in 1983, and among the many great personalities who have worked with the orchestra as soloists or conductors, he highlights two as having been especially influential:

− The conductors Mariss Jansons and Herbert Blomstedt deserve a special mention. At the same time, all my colleagues in the Oslo Philharmonic have always had influence on me through the respectful and quality promoting orchestra culture we have created together.

One of the most challenging and successful experiences for him with the Oslo Philharmonic Orchestra was the orchestra’s residency in Vienna with Mariss Jansons in the autumn of 1997.

− We played five different programmes in the course of one week and received brilliant reviews! Otherwise, it’s always a great joy to play musical masterpieces with my fantastic colleagues at good concerts which excite the audience! However, what I like the most is making a contribution to sustain music life in our society. Music communicates beauty and is a counterweight to rationality. The music is a safe haven for people who need to feed their souls with more than light entertainment or the latest updates from the stock exchange.

− The music is not an exact language

Besides orchestral music, the cellist also plays different types of music on his electric cello. Of the classical composers, Ludwig van Beethoven, Gustav Mahler and Richard Wagner are among his favourites:

− Beethoven is the greatest. But I also love music where the composers exploit the orchestra palate to the utmost, such as in Mahler’s symphonies. Another favourite work is Vorspiel und Liebestod from Tristan and Isolde by Wagner.

When he attends a concert himself, he gets the most out of it if he has secured a certain amount of knowledge about the works, and their context.

− Nevertheless, I think the most important thing is to be relaxed and open. The music isn’t an exact language, and therefore it has to be interpreted freely. The grandeur of music is that it can express the ineffable.

When he isn’t playing, he enjoys other cultural pursuits such as opera, ballet, theatre, and visual arts.

− I also read a lot, and am especially interested in fiction and history. I also like being with family and friends, and being outdoors - in the forest, in the mountains and by the sea!