Bergen Orgelsommer - Bergen International Organ Festival - Sigurd Melvær Øgaard og Hans Gunnar Hagen

Program will be announced on day of concert

Sigurd Melvær Øgaard was born in Bergen in 1978 and began studying the organ at age ten. In 1996, he attended the International Summer Academy for Organists in Haarlem, The Netherlands, where he studied with Piet Kee. From 1997-2002, Øgaard was an organ performance major at the Grieg Academy in Bergen. As part of his undergraduate work, he spent a semester at the Birmingham Conservatoire in England, while also working as organ scholar at St. Mary’s Collegiate Church in Warwick. In 2002, Øgaard moved to the USA to work as Organist and Assistant Director of Music at First United Methodist Church, Lubbock, Texas. During his time there, he completed a master's degree and a DMA in choral conducting at Texas Tech University. After relocating to Houston in 2011, he worked first as organist at Palmer Memorial Episcopal Church until 2014, then as Cathedral Organist at Christ Church Cathedral. From 2012 until 2015, he was Organist and Accompanist for Bach Society Houston, as well as instructor of improvisation at the University of Houston. Since September 2015, Øgaard has been Cathedral Organist at Bergen Cathedral in Norway. He has performed extensively in Europe and the USA. Performance venues have included St. Bavo Church, Haarlem (the Netherlands); St. Paul’s, Westminster, and Coventry Cathedrals (England); and Washington National Cathedral (USA).

Hans Gunnar Hagen has been a member of the Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra since 1993. He is a former member of BIT 20 (a contemporary music ensemble in Bergen). He has also participated extensively in the Bergen music scene with engagements as a soloist, group leader and tutti musician, as well as taking part in many chamber music groups and constellations. He plays regularly with Bergen Barokk and in the concert series of the Antikk Musikk association. In 1987 he was a soloist with the Stavanger Symphony Orchestra. In addition to numerous recordings with the BFO and BIT 20, he has participated in a number of CD recordings as a chamber musician and soloist, including "Carl Arnold" with Torleif Torgersen (2020), "Tacit-Citat-ion" with Rebecka Ahvenniemi (2019), "Til alle heimsens endar" with Galar (2010), "Budeiene på Vikafjell" with Leif Rygg (2008), "Per Hannevold and friends" (2005), "Pooka" with Lars Horntvedt (2004), "I stilla og tillit" with Halldis Reigstad (2003) and "Jubilee Quartets" with Bergen Chamber Music Association (1995). He has been a viola teacher at the Grieg Academy, Department of Music since 2010, after a number of previous engagements there since 1993-94. He has also taught at the Summer School on Halsnøy for a number of years, as well as in music courses at high schools and various talent programs. He studied viola as a Concert subject at the Hochschule für Musik und darstellende Kunst in Vienna under Professor Siegfried Führlinger. He studied viola at the Eastern Norway Academy of Music with Lars Anders Tomter and Terje Moe Hansen. He has also studied violin with Leif Jørgensen and Michael Oustad.

Bergen international Organ Festival - 29 June till 24 August
Sundays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays, respectively in Bergen Cathedral, St. Mary's Church and St. John's Church. In addition, concerts in Nykirken (the new Church) and St. Paul's church.

Bergen Orgelsommer - 29. juni til 24. august. Søndager, tirsdager og onsdager i henholdsvis Bergen domkirke, Mariakirken og Johanneskirken. Konserter også i Nykirken og St. Pauls kirke.