NYHETER LAWO CLASSICS

The album Earth Walker brings oboist Marion Walker together with the Kristiansand Symphony Orchestra under the direction of Eivind Gullberg Jensen in a striking new recording that highlights some of the most distinctive voices in Nordic contemporary music. the album presents a powerful and atmospheric program centered around Jan Erik Mikalsen’s monumental work Bois, alongside music by Lars‑Erik Larsson and Nils Henrik Asheim. 

The new recording Mass for Christmas Day presents the early‑music ensemble Currentes in a vivid and deeply informed interpretation of the medieval and early‑Renaissance repertoire traditionally associated with the Christmas liturgy. The album offers a richly woven musical journey through the structure of the Christmas Day Mass, performed with the ensemble’s characteristic blend of historical insight and contemporary expressive immediacy. 

Bragernes kirkes solistensemble stands at the heart of Drammensklang, a new recording that captures the richness and vitality of contemporary Norwegian church music. Under the direction of Jørn Fevang, the ensemble is joined by baritone Halvor F. Melien, soprano Julia Gusek, organist Jon Martin Høie, and trumpet soloist Brynjar Kolbergsrud, supported by a group of exceptionally fine string players whose warmth and clarity give the album its distinctive sonic character. 

Carl Nielsen: Symphonies No. 2 & No. 4, with the Stavanger Symphony Orchestra conducted by the distinguished Latvian maestro Andris Poga highlights the orchestra’s dedication to presenting Nordic symphonic masterpieces to audiences worldwide, celebrating Nielsen’s distinctive voice as one of Denmark’s greatest composers. 

 

 

Britten’s seminal Suites for Solo Cello are a 20th century analogue to J.S. Bach’s landmark Suites for Solo Cello. All three of these pieces were written for, and dedicated to, the Russian titan of the cello, Mstislav Rostropovich. Coincidentally, Amalie Stalheim has recently been loaned a G.B. Guadagnini cello that was once owned by Mstislav Rostropovich. While she plays an F. Ruggieri cello from 1687 on this recording, Amalie makes her performance debut on the historic Guadagnini 1783 instrument in November 2025. 

 

 

A shimmering collection of Nordic Christmas songs and winter-themed works finds new life in Nordic Noël, a deeply evocative collaboration between mezzo-soprano Marianne Beate Kielland and pianist Nils Anders Mortensen. This album offers a contemplative and poetic soundscape, weaving together beloved carols, lesser-known gems, and art songs from Norway. 

 

 

Musical Icons is a bold and contemplative journey into the spiritual and expressive potential of the classical guitar. Performed by Norwegian guitarist Ole Martin Huser-Olsen, this album brings together three contemporary Nordic composers whose works explore sacred themes through striking musical language and intimate textures. 

Mozart: Viennese Quartets marks the final volume in the Engegård Quartet’s ambitious and deeply personal journey through Mozart’s complete string quartets. The six works featured here—K.168 to K.173—were composed in Vienna in 1773, a period of artistic growth and experimentation for the young composer. These quartets reveal Mozart’s increasing command of form and texture, blending elegance with emotional complexity and a bold sense of invention. 

 

 

Oslo Kammerakademi returns with a compelling new recording, Symphonies for Harmoniemusik – Mozart · Haydn · Beethoven, offering a fresh perspective on three iconic symphonic works through the lens of historical wind ensemble arrangements. This album explores the rich tradition of Harmoniemusik, where orchestral masterpieces were transcribed for wind octet, contrabass, and timpani, making them accessible to smaller ensembles and intimate settings. 

 

 

What happens when the vast machinery of the symphony is entrusted to just seven musicians? At first, the idea seems absurd. Strauss’s Till Eulenspiegel was written for one of the largest orchestras of its time; Ravel’s La Valse is an apocalyptic dance that normally takes every inch of a concert stage to contain. Even Prokofiev’s deceptively light Classical Symphony relies on the precision of a full ensemble. How can all that thunder and color possibly fit into the hands of a string quartet, double bass, accordion, and piano? That is precisely the provocation behind Boye’s Café Orchestra’s new album. 

Norwegian harpist Sunniva Rødland releases When She Awakens, a bold and immersive solo album that reimagines the harp as a vessel for myth, abstraction, and modern storytelling. Featuring works by some of the most visionary composers of the 20th and 21st centuries, the album invites listeners into a dreamlike soundscape where ritual and resonance intertwine. 

Evening Hymn brings together soprano Berit Norbakken, violinist and artistic leader Henning Kraggerud, and the Arctic Philharmonic in a contemplative and emotionally rich journey through the Baroque repertoire. the recording presents a carefully curated selection of arias and sacred works that explore themes of twilight, longing, and spiritual introspection. 

 

 

"Echoes", a new album featuring Norwegian trumpet soloist Tine Thing Helseth, the Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra, and conductor Petr Popelka. The recording presents trumpet concertos by Alexander Arutiunian, Krzysztof Penderecki, and Mieczysław Weinberg, along with Arutiunian’s Theme and Variations. 

 

 

A powerful new orchestral recording featuring the Oslo Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Vasily Petrenko, performing Sergei Prokofiev’s Symphony No. 7 in C-sharp minor, Op. 131 and Nikolai Myaskovsky’s Sinfonietta in A major, Op. 68, No. 2. This album offers a compelling journey through two distinct yet complementary works from the Soviet era. Prokofiev’s Symphony No. 7, his final completed symphony, is a deeply lyrical and introspective piece composed in 1952. Often interpreted as a farewell to life and creativity, the work is rich in melodic beauty and emotional nuance, balancing nostalgia with quiet defiance. In contrast, Myaskovsky’s Sinfonietta, written in 1945, radiates neoclassical charm and clarity, showcasing his gift for elegant orchestration and structural finesse. 

 

 

Nordic Unrest is a striking new solo piano album by the Norwegian pianist Oda Voltersvik. This deeply expressive recording explores the dramatic landscapes and folkloristic characters of the Nordic region. The composers Edvard Grieg and Atli Heimir Sveinsson are separated by a century but united in their ability to combine unrest with musical poetry. 

In this elegant and expressive album, Nils Anders Mortensen pays homage to Joseph Haydn, one of the most inventive and influential composers of the Classical era. Through a carefully selected program of keyboard works, Mortensen explores the emotional depth, structural clarity, and playful spirit that define Haydn’s music—bringing a fresh and deeply personal interpretation to each piece. 

 

 

Cantus – Works by Egil Hovland, a compelling new album that pays tribute to one of Norway’s most visionary composers. The recording features acclaimed organist Lars Notto Birkeland, renowned percussionist Eirik Raude and Forsvarets stabsmusikkorps (The Norwegian Armed Forces Band), conducted by Peter Szilvay. 

Renowned Norwegian pianist Rune Alver is set to captivate classical music lovers once again with the highly anticipated reissue of his celebrated album “Mountain Dance”, originally released in 2004. This evocative recording, which showcases visionary piano works by the young Edvard Grieg, will be reintroduced with remastered audio that deepens the listener’s connection to Norway’s rich musical heritage. 

A fresh interpretation of Mozart’s early string quartets is now available, performed by the Engegård Quartet. This recording presents the six Milanese Quartets (K. 155–160), composed during Mozart’s stay in Milan in 1772–73, alongside the earlier K. 80, written when he was just 14. 

The release of Mozart Complete Piano Music, Vol. 1, the first in a new multi-volume recording series featuring acclaimed Norwegian pianist Christian Ihle Hadland. With this project, Hadland embarks on an in-depth exploration of the complete solo piano works of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, presenting a fresh, insightful view on one of the most iconic figures in classical music. 

 

 

“BACH – The Schnitger Organ of St. Ludgeri in Norden”, a monumental new release from one of Norway’s most celebrated organists, Kåre Nordstoga. This album features a carefully curated selection of organ works by Johann Sebastian Bach, performed on the world-renowned Schnitger organ at St. Ludgeri Church in Norden, Germany—one of the most important preserved Baroque organs in Europe. 

 

 

On Norway’s Liberation Day, May 8, 2025 – 80 years after the end of World War II – LAWO Classics releases Krigsseilerrekviem, a powerful and moving new work by composer Bjørn Morten Christophersen. 

Edvard Fliflet Bræin: Chamber Works is a richly curated recording that brings to light the rarely heard chamber music of one of Norway’s most versatile 20th-century composers. Best known for his orchestral works and opera Anne Pedersdotter, Edvard Fliflet Bræin (1924–1976) reveals a different, more intimate musical voice in this collection of chamber pieces, interpreted by a remarkable ensemble of Norwegian performers. 

 

 

The foundation of Harpreet’s compositions is decades of schooling and training within the Indian raga tradition, with its scales and frameworks, from which she ventures in various directions. The music is North Indian Classical but draws on various folk music styles, contemporary classical music, Bollywood and much else besides and between. The result is an album characterised by its mix of sounds, unpredictable structures and seamless transitions within and between each track. Together, these three songs provide a very special soundscape where some listeners will experience the discovery of new territory, while others will feel something close to a homecoming. 

 

 

On this deeply moving and artistically ambitious release, the acclaimed vocal ensemble Nordic Voices and the dynamic period ensemble Nivalis Barokk present a bold new interpretation of Membra Jesu Nostri by Dietrich Buxtehude, interwoven with Buxtehude Echoes, seven new instrumental meditations by contemporary Norwegian composer Nils Henrik Asheim. 

A powerful voice in American classical music returns to center stage with the release of Concerto in One Movement by Florence Price, performed by internationally acclaimed pianist Marianna Shirinyan and the Norwegian Radio Orchestra, conducted by trailblazing American maestro Jeri Lynne Johnson. This vibrant new recording captures the sweeping lyricism, rhythmic vitality, and emotional depth of Florence Price’s 1934 piano concerto — a work that reflects the composer’s unique blend of classical forms with African American spirituals and folk idioms. 

Mezzo-soprano Christina Herresthal makes her recording debut with the EP Sånger från Aftonland,, featuring the ensemble Hehku under the direction of conductor Aliisa Neige Barrière. The centerpiece of the release is Danish composer Per Nørgård’s hauntingly lyrical song cycle, composed in 1956 when he was just 24 years old—the same age Herresthal was when she recorded the work in 2022 as a heartfelt tribute for Nørgård’s 90th birthday. 

Acclaimed composer Martin Romberg presents ArtsandSigns, a striking new piano album performed by Alexandra Silocea. This release explores the deep connection between music, symbolism, and visual art, offering an immersive and ethereal listening experience. 

 

 

Fjordklang features 19 selected works from the “Vestfold Cycle” — a growing series of 43 compositions written by composers with ties to the region. The cycle began with five pieces premiered at their very first concert and has since grown into a unique expression of Vestfold’s creative energy. The album also features music by two key figures in the local music scene: Olav Berg (Horten) and Roger Arve Vigulf (Sandefjord), both of whom have written original sextets for the ensemble. 

With Watch – Music for Strings, Piano and Electronics, Norwegian composer Jostein Stalheim invites listeners into an expansive and multidimensional sonic world where acoustic and electronic elements converge. Featuring a stellar cast of performers—including cellist Amalie Stalheim, violinist Eva Camilla Eikaas Stalheim, double bassist Callum Hay Jennings, pianist Sergej Osadchuk, the Vertavo String Quartet, and the Bergen String Quartet—this new album presents a bold and immersive musical journey.