Maj Sønstevold
Encyclopedia
Maj Sønstevold was a Swedish composer who lived and worked in Norway
.
, Sweden
. She studied piano in Stockholm
and with Billy Mayerl
in London
. She married Norwegian composer Gunnar Sønstevold
and in 1945 moved to Norway
where she worked as a composer and music teacher. Later she and her family spent time in Vienna
where she studied with Hanns Jelinek
and Karl Schiske and graduated in composition in 1966 from the Akademisches Hauptseminar.
From 1971–1985 Sønstevold taught in the Music Department of Oslo University. In 1974 she and her husband founded The Maj and Gunnar Sønstevold Music Institute in Rakkestad
.
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
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Biography
Maj Sønstevold was born in SollefteåSollefteå
Sollefteå is a locality and the seat of Sollefteå Municipality in Västernorrland County, Sweden with 8,530 inhabitants in 2005.The earliest written account on Sollefteå is found in a script dating back to 1270. During this time the name of the village was given as De Solatum - a name that can be...
, Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
. She studied piano in Stockholm
Stockholm
Stockholm is the capital and the largest city of Sweden and constitutes the most populated urban area in Scandinavia. Stockholm is the most populous city in Sweden, with a population of 851,155 in the municipality , 1.37 million in the urban area , and around 2.1 million in the metropolitan area...
and with Billy Mayerl
Billy Mayerl
Billy Joseph Mayerl , was an English pianist and composer who built a career in music hall and musical theatre and became an acknowledged master of light music. Best known for his syncopated novelty piano solos, he wrote over 300 piano pieces, many of which were named after flowers and trees,...
in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. She married Norwegian composer Gunnar Sønstevold
Gunnar Sønstevold
Gunnar Sønstevold was a Norwegian composer. He was born in Elverum, and married composer Maj Sønstevold in 1941. He composed orchestral works, vocal music, chamber music, and music to a number of plays, ballets and films. He headed the Music Department of the Norwegian Broadcasting...
and in 1945 moved to Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
where she worked as a composer and music teacher. Later she and her family spent time in Vienna
Vienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
where she studied with Hanns Jelinek
Hanns Jelinek
Hanns Jelinek was an Austrian composer of Czech descent who is also known under the pseudonym Hanns Elin....
and Karl Schiske and graduated in composition in 1966 from the Akademisches Hauptseminar.
From 1971–1985 Sønstevold taught in the Music Department of Oslo University. In 1974 she and her husband founded The Maj and Gunnar Sønstevold Music Institute in Rakkestad
Rakkestad
Rakkestad is a municipality in Østfold county, Norway. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Rakkestad. It is divided into the parishes of Rakkestad, Degernes, and Os. The municipality is the county's second largest by area and one of Norway's largest agricultural...
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Works
Maj Sønstevold composed jazz, light music and avant garde music for theatre, film, radio and television. She also composed for orchestra, chamber ensemble, choir and solo instrument. Selected works include:- Den gamle majors forunderlige drømme (The Strange Dreams Of The Old Major)
- Summerdays by the Sea
- Festival Ouverture
- Neun Haiku for alto voice, flute and harp
- 11 Polytonal Blues for piano