Sigmund Groven (born March 16, 1946 in Heddal, Telemark) is a Norwegian classical harmonica player, today considered one of the world's leading classical harmonica players. He plays with a large number of the world's leading musicians and orchestras, and he has made about 22 recordings yet in his own name. His repertoire ranges from popular and folk music to his own compositions, from Bach to contemporary music.
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Sigmund Groven grew up in a family with rich music and cultural traditions. His uncle was the folk musician and composer, Eivind Groven. As a child, Sigmund Groven heard Tommy Reilly playing harmonica on radio, and was fascinated by what he heard. From 1960, Sigmund Groven studied with Reilly in London. In 1965 Groven performed as a solo artist for the first time, and has since often been seen and heard on TV and radio. Sigmund Groven has worked as a music producer, radio presenter, programme producer for radio and as a music teacher, at Norwegian universities and at master-classes around the world.
In 1971 Sigmund Groven presented his first original composition; the music to Erik Bye's poem, "Så spiller vi harmonica". Sigmund Groven continued to work with Erik Bye on a number of songs and projects.
Sigmund Groven has contributed to over 250 recordings, and has written more than 350 original compositions, from children's songs and instrumental ballads to movie and TV soundtracks, and works on a larger scale. He has written music to lyrics and poems by Ove Røsbak, Halvor J.Sandsdalen, Tarjei Vesaas, Olav Kaste, Hans Børli, Josef G.Larssen and Erik Bye. Composers who have written music especially for Sigmund Groven include Øistein Sommerfeldt, Terje Rypdal, James Moody, Johan Kvandal, Oddvar S. Kvam, Ketil Bjørnstad, Kristian Lindeman, Henning Sommerro, Iver Kleive, Egil Kapstad, Kenneth Sivertsen, Johan Øian, John Surman, Siegfried Steinkogler, Lars Tilling, and Fried Walter.
Soundtracks include the films "For Tors skyld" and "Fuglekongen", and the TV documentary series "Vi på Langedrag".
Many of Sigmund Groven's recordings have become part of the Norwegian cultural heritage. Reodors ballade (by Bent Fabricius-Bjerre) from the movie "Flåklypa Grand Prix", "Svalbard theme" by Bøhren & Åserud, and a version of Henning Sommero's "Vårsøg" are among the instrumental classics of Norwegian music, loved by several generations.
Sigmund Groven has recorded 22 albums ranging from original music via Beatles hits to classical works. His albums are sold worldwide and he enjoy great popularity in Asia. Sigmund Groven has toured all over the world with solo recitals from New York (Carnegie Hall) to Tokyo (Casals Hall). In 2002 he became the first harmonica-player to appear as soloist with the Mozarteum Orchestra in Salzburg giving the world premiere of Siegfried Steinkogler’s Harmonica Concerto, and has performed with symphony and chamber orchestras in the US, Canada, Europe and Asia, including Academy of St. Martin in the Fields, the radio orchestras of Berlin, Munich, Brussels, Stockholm and London, the Hong Kong City Chamber Orchestra and orchestras in Quebec, Dallas, Minneapolis and Anchorage. He has been featured at festivals and major events in Washington (Smithsonian Institution), Los Angeles, San Francisco, Minneapolis, Dallas, Houston, New Orleans, Toronto, most major cities in western Europe as well as Budapest, Belgrade, Athens, also Riydah, Jeddah, Hong Kong, Taipei, Seoul, Kyoto and Yokohama.
1975: Så spiller vi harmonica
1976: Music for two Harmonicas (with Tommy Reilly)
1977: Musikk for en lang natt (with Ketil Bjørnstad)
1979: Motlys
1981: Musikken inni oss (with Arve Tellefsen)
1981: Kom sol på alle mine berg (with Geirr Lystrup)
1981: Lævandes dikt (with Ove Røsbak, Iver Kleive)
1983: Songar utan ord (with Henning Sommerro)
1986: Colour Slides
1988: Aria
1990: Nordisk natt
1991: Nattønsker
1993: Siesta
1995: Til Telemark
1996: I godt lag
1998: Harmonica Album
2000: Innunder jul (with Iver Kleive, Anne Vada)
2001: Vi på Langedrag
2003: Over the Rainbow
2004: Here, There and Everywhere (with The Norwegian Radio Orchestra under the direction of John Wilson)
2005: PhilHarmonica (with The Norwegian Radio Orchestra under the direction of Christian Eggen)
2007: Grieg Album (with Ivar Anton Waagaard, Kåre Nordstoga, and The Norwegian Radio Orchestra under the direction of Peter Szilvay)
2010: HarmOrgan (with Iver Kleive)
There are three recent recordings with the Norwegian Radio Orchestra. The first is an album featuring works for harmonica and orchestra by Sir George Martin, as well as his arrangements of Lennon–McCartney songs and other shorter pieces. The second is followed by PhilHarmonica, a CD of serious original works by Darius Milhaud, Heitor Villa-Lobos and Scandinavian contemporary composers. The third is an album of adaptions of the music of Edvard Grieg.
The latest addition to his discography is "HarmOrgan" together with organist Iver Kleive, an album of baroque works by Bach and Handel plus original pieces by Groven and Kleive recorded in Surround Sound, Blu-ray format by Lindberg Lyd and released on the prestigious 2L label.
Sigmund plays a custom-made Polle silver concert harmonica.