Cecilie Ore (b. 1954) studied piano at the Norwegian Academy of Music and in Paris (1974–81), followed by composition at the Institute of Sonology in Utrecht and with Ton de Leeuw at the Sweelinck Conservatory in Amsterdam (1981–86).

In the 1980s, she gained international recognition for works such as Calliope (1984), Helices (1985), and Porphyre (1986). Her electro-acoustic work Etapper (1988) earned both 1st and 2nd prizes at the International Rostrum for Electro-Acoustic Music, and Porphyre was awarded “Work of the Year” by the Norwegian Composers’ Association.

Ore's exploration of time as a musical concept led to two major tetralogies: Codex Temporis (1989–92) and Tempura Mutantur (1997–99), followed by the “cloud” cycle, including Cirrus (2002) and Cirrostratus (2004). In the 2000s, she shifted focus to vocal and text-based works, premiering A – a shadow opera (2001) and Schwirren (2003), and later creating politically engaged pieces addressing themes like capital punishment and freedom of speech.

Her opera Adam & Eve – a Divine Comedy premiered at the Bergen International Festival in 2015. The same year, she received the Lindeman Prize. Other notable works include the satirical Vatican Trilogy (2016–18), and the H2O Trilogy for string quartet (2018–2020), for which she received both the Edvard Prize (2019) and the Music Publishers Prize (2023).

Ore continues to explore the interplay between text and instrumentation in recent works such as Katsu! (2021), Hototogisu! (2022), and Lex Naturae (2023). She was a visiting professor at the Norwegian Academy of Music from 2020 to 2023.

Source

Agathe Backer-Grøndahl (1847–1907) was a Norwegian composer and pianist, widely celebrated in her time and considered one of Scandinavia’s foremost musical figures of the 19th century. Born in Holmestrand into a culturally engaged and well-off family, she received her first piano lessons from her parents, both amateur musicians. After the family moved to Christiania (now Oslo), she studied with composer and pianist Halfdan Kjerulf, who quickly recognized her exceptional talent.

Against the conventions of the era, her parents eventually supported her professional ambitions, and in 1865 she began studies in piano and composition at Theodor Kullak’s conservatory in Berlin. Upon returning to Norway in 1868, she made a sensational debut performing Beethoven’s Fifth Piano Concerto under the baton of Edvard Grieg. Her debut as a composer followed shortly, with two orchestral works that were warmly received. She later pursued further piano studies with Hans von Bülow in Florence and Franz Liszt in Weimar.

From the early 1870s, Backer-Grøndahl enjoyed a remarkable career as a concert pianist, touring extensively throughout Scandinavia. In 1875, she was elected to the Royal Swedish Academy of Music and married conductor Olaus Andreas Grøndahl, with whom she had three sons. She balanced family life with concertizing, teaching, and composing whenever time allowed.

In the mid-1890s, her health and nerves began to decline, and she withdrew from public performance. However, at the urging of her close friend Edvard Grieg, she returned to the stage in 1890 with a triumphant performance of his piano concerto at the Bergen Music Festival. She continued performing for devoted audiences in Norway, Sweden, and Denmark until her final years.

Agathe Backer-Grøndahl died in 1907 at her home on Ormøya, near Oslo, nearly completely deaf. Her legacy endures as a pioneering female composer and a central figure in Norwegian musical life.
Source