Frode Berg

Frode Berg’s mother sang in the Oslo Philharmonic Choir when he was growing up, and he eventually gained access to a rich selection of the Oslo Philharmonic’s recordings.

− We had many recordings with the orchestra and Mariss Jansons, and I think I wore out a record with Shostakovich’s Fifth symphony.

When he started high school he ended up in a class and parallel class with two guitarists from Lier Musikkskole, where he took piano lessons. This was to be critical for his musical development:

− We started a band, I started playing the electric bass, and we became proper music nerds. Every Monday morning we compared the number of hours we had practiced over the weekend. In the end we all ended up as musicians, so it must have worked. Most of our free time was spent practicing together, listening to records, and basically being a hundred per cent engrossed by music. At that time it was rock, then jazz and jazz rock.

− It can be a very intense experience

The friends from his youth are today well-known and respected musicians - Thomas Kjekstad as a classical guitarist and Håvard Caspersen as an electric guitarist. Frode studied with teachers such as Remigius Klackansky (his first teacher on the electric bass), Hans Christian Holm (his first teacher on the double bass) and Knut Guettler at Norges Musikkhøgskole, as well as drawing inspiration from his role models:

− My most important role models are probably John Patitucci, with whom I have had the pleasure of studying privately with on several occasions, Charlie Haden, Gary Peacock, Jaco Pastorius, Miles Davis, and my childhood heroes who for me have more than stood the test of time − Billy Sheehan and Steve Harris.

Frode has had a varied career as a musician within classical music, jazz, theatre music and on tour with big international artists, such as Donna Summer. He has been working in the Oslo Philharmonic Orchestra since 2010.

− The greatest pleasure in being a musician must be the feeling you get those times everything comes together between the musicians, at the same time that one succeeds in building a bridge to the audience, so that everyone in the room feels that they are part of something uniquely special. A moment which just happens there and then, which we all share. That can sometimes be a very intense experience.

− Take a chance on something you don’t know what is

The double bass player has been able to relive the music which so strongly inspired him in his youth:

− The first time I played Shostakovich’s Fifth symphony was a highlight for me, a few years before getting a permanent position in the orchestra.

Frode recommends sometimes going to concerts featuring music one doesn’t already know:

− Take a chance on something you don’t know what is, and come with an open, curious and listening heart. The worst thing that can happen is that the music isn’t for you, but the positive repercussions may be endless. It may be an opening to a new universe you wouldn't know existed if you only followed what you know and love.

Music takes up most of his time, and when he isn’t working with the orchestra or preparing for it, he likes to practice and explore other musical styles on double bass and bass guitar.