AUDUN HALVORSEN
Professional Bassoonist
Audun Halvorsen was born in 1979. He grew up in Haugesund on the west coast of Norway. He started his studies with Robert Rønnes and continued in the Norwegian State Academy of Music with Eirik Birkeland and Knut Sønstevold. Ole Kristian Dahl has been Audun's teacher and mentor since 2001.
Audun auditioned for and won his first position as Principal Bassoonist in the Norrköping Symphony Orchestra in 2001. During 2002 he also held the same position at the Norwegian Opera, followed by Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra 2005-06 and NDR Sinfonieorchester Hamburg in 2010-11. Recently Audun decided to return to his position as Principal Bassoonist of the Danish National Symphony Orchestra in Copenhagen, which he has held since 2006.
Audun has played as guest principal with, among others, London Symphony Orchestra, Mahler Chamber Orchestra, Oslo Philharmonic Orchestra, Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra, Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra and Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra. In 2011 Audun was invited to play with the Luzerne Festival Orchestra conducted by Claudio Abbado.
Audun made his solo debut in 2003 with Stavanger Symphony Orchestra as ”The Young Musician of the Year”, followed by solo appearances with Norrköping Symphony Orchestra, Norwegian Radio Symphony Orchestra, Danish National Symphony Orchestra DR in Copenhagen and NDR Sinfonieorchester.
Audun is an active chamber musician. He is a member of «Diamant Ensemblet» in Copenhagen, and he has participated in important chamber music festivals in Risør, Stavanger, Oslo, Gloppen, Uusikaupunki og Korsholm(Wasa).
Audun is currently teaching bassoon at The Royal Danish Academy of Music in Copenhagen.
In 2003 he won the ”Crusell Bassoon Competition” in Uusikaupunki in
Finland, and was also awarded the ”Norwegian Shell prize”.