Amund Sjǿlie Sveen

Picture: Kari Løvaas

Amund Sjǿlie Sveen was born in 1973 and holds a degree in percussion (2002) from the Gothenburg College of Music. He has also studied at the Conservatory in Tromsø. He is mainly involved with solo and chamber music on the one hand, and on the other with improvisation, performance, music theatre and sound art, and often works with musical expression in a large performing context. He has extensive experience of music theatre, among others as a musician, actor and improviser in Distortion (Gothenburg 2002). As a soloist he has performed in instrumental theatre and guested at festivals all over Norway. He was awarded a Youth Scholarship at the North Norway Festival in 2001 and received a State scholarship for artists in 2005-2006 to develop music theatre. Sveen is a member of the Gothenburg Chamber Soloists (contemporary music), Kalenda Maya (medieval and Renaissance music) and Slagr (new folk music).

Sound of Freedom

In a TV-broadcast from an American weapon-fair, a man is talking in front of the camera. Behind the man you can see a shooting range; an offer to members of the public who wants to test guns. The shooting range is popular this day. At one point the man in front of the camera has to take a break because of all the noise from the semi- and fully automatic weapons being tested behind him. He turns to look at the spectacle. He then turns back to the camera with a great smile on his face and exclaims with great joy: "Ahhhh....! This is the sound of freedom!" Originally written for Göteborg Chamber Soloists and Amund Sjølie Sveen. First performed at the GAS-festival in Göteborg 2005. This version for NING was first performed at the ULTIMA-festival in Oslo 2007.

www.ningensemble.com/amund/