Dear audience,

This year we have the great pleasure of welcoming you to the 20th chamber music festival in Oslo. It seems only a distant memory that 20 years ago the words "chamber music" were practically non existent in the Norwegian vocabulary. When we started the first festival in Norway featuring chamber music in 1989 I was haunted by one question; "What is chamber music?" - forcing me to embark on long explanations saying that it is an intimate form of music where audience and musicians come in close contact through some of the finest music ever made, that it is co-operation in the highest degree etc, etc.

At this point in time I am no longer asked what chamber music is, and the reason for that is the fact that more that 20 similar festivals have been started across the country. This represents a marvellous development of an important part of music that we are proud to have contributed to. Important because hundreds of thousands of people have had the opportunity to experience intriguing music performed by wonderful artists, and young Norwegian musicians and composers have been given the chance to introduce themselves to a large audience. This contributing to the creation of a musical environment bursting with more talents than ever before.

Without further ado we welcome you to a series of exhilarating concerts performed by exciting artists.

Artistic chairman
July 2008

Håkon Bleken has painted the festivalpicture for 2006.

HM The Queen is Oslo Chamber Music Festival's patron.