Norwegian Jazz Artist Håkon Kornstad
2026-04-14 19:00 - 20:30 (America/Chicago) | Mindekirken: The Norwegian Lutheran Memorial Church, 924 E 21st St, Minneapolis, MN, 55404, United States
The Norwegian jazz artist Håkon Kornstad presents a concert at Mindekirken featuring his jazz stylings as singer and saxophonist.
Born in Oslo, Norway in 1977, Kornstad took up the clarinet in grammar school and eventually turned to the saxophone and studies at the Trondheim Jazz Conservatory. He co-founded the group Wibutee, soon to be signed by Bugge Wesseltoft’s label Jazzland. On a visit to New York in 2009, he discovered opera and decided to take singing lessons. He applied to The Norwegian Academy of Opera, where he completed his master studies as operatic tenor in May 2014.
Kornstad performs his music in several formats, including solo performances, the Håkon Kornstad Trio, and orchestral formats of chamber and symphonic music. Blending opera and jazz, the Kornstad Ensemble has featured harmonium and harpsichord in addition to a rhythm section.
His orchestral works have been performed with the Norwegian Radio Orchestra (KORK), WDR Funkhausorchester in Cologne (2018), and the Stockholm Wind Symphony. He also collaborates with the Norwegian Chamber Orchestra and director Terje Tønnesen.
The solo concerts, as at Mindekirken, are performed with solo saxophone, flute, flutonette, voice, and live looping.
Suggested ticket price: $20

Mr. Kornstad will also give a preview presentation for Mindekirken’s 11:00–1:00 Tuesday Open House.

Preview performance by Håkon Kornstad

Peer Gynt 150th Anniversary Readers' Theater Presentation
2026-02-24 19:00 - 21:00 | MetroNOME Brewery, 385 Broadway Street, St. Paul, MN, United States
SOLD OUT!! In celebration of the 150th anniversary of Norway’s most performed play, we present Henrik Ibsen’s remarkable work with music by Edvard Grieg, adapted by Jon Cranney and Sonja Thompson. Featuring an ensemble of singer-actors with piano accompaniment.

MetroNOME Brewery, 7:00 pm. $15 admission. Ticket reservations required. THIS EVENT IS SOLD OUT
More Information: https://metronomebrewery.com/live-music/sonja-thompson-presents-peer-gynt/

The Temptations of Veslemøy by Kjell Habbestad WORLD PREMIERE
2025-11-02 16:00 - 17:30 | Mindekirken: The Norwegian Lutheran Memorial Church, 924 E 21st St, Minneapolis, MN, 55404, United States
with translations by Bill Halverson –
The piece features texts based on poems from Norwegian poet Arne Garborg’s verse novel Haugtussa, in new English translations by Dr. William Halverson.
Dr. Halverson has also recently published his translation of the entire Garborg work, originally written in Nynorsk (“New Norwegian”), under the title Haugtussa: The Clairvoyant Mountain Maid.
Asked recently why he undertook this monumental task, he replied: “Most people familiar withHaugtussa know it from the Edvard Grieg song cycle, in which a young shepherdess named Veslemøy herds cattle and goats in the mountains, falls in love, is jilted by her lover, and is last seen weeping beside a mountain stream.
“But there is so much more to her story. The most important fact about Veslemøy is that she is clairvoyant. She is cursed with the ability to see things that other people cannot see, to know things that other people do not know, to converse with ghosts and goblins and trolls. She is tempted to use her unusual powers to wreak revenge on the woman who stole her lover, to lure him back to her—or, if all else fails, to escape the unrelenting pain of life in this world by becoming a troll herself.”

Melissa Holm-Johansen, soprano
Justin Anthony Spenner, baritone
Judith McClain Melander, mezzo-soprano
Bryon Wilson, piano
Merilee Klemp, oboe
Rolf Erdahl, double bass

The Temptations of Veslemøy: Lunch
2025-11-02 14:00 - 15:30 | Norway House, 913 E Franklin Ave, Minneapolis, MN, 55404
“The Temptations of Veslemøy” is the fruit of compositional efforts of Norwegian composer Kjell Habbestad, the “gjendiktning” translation work of William Halverson, and a long-standing friendship between the two men .

A gala 2:00 ELMO Catering buffet luncheon at Norway House on November 2 precedes the 4:00 world premiere of Kjell Habbestad’s “The Temptations of Veslemøy” at neighboring Mindekirken. Brian Newhouse, former Managing Director of MPR/APM’s classical programming, will interview composer Kjell Habbestad and translator/librettist Bill Halverson in anticipation of the 4:00 world premiere.

Book Launch - Garborg's "Haugtussa - The Clairvoyant Mountain Maid" - Dr. Wm. Halverson
2025-10-04 14:00 - 16:00 | Norway House, 913 E Franklin Ave, Minneapolis, MN, 55404
Dr. William Halverson, a world authority on the music of Edvard Grieg and foremost English language translator of Norwegian music literature and song texts of the works of Grieg presents a book launch of his translation of Arne Garborg’s “Haugtussa,” one of the most significant pieces of literature written in the Nynorsk Norwegian language, translated in full in English for the first time since its 1895 publication.

This event has a suggested ticket price of $15 and open to the public in Norway House.

Garborg was one of the foremost proponents of Nynorsk, a language developed by Ivar Aasen as a fusion of various Norwegian dialects. This was a nationalistic reaction against years of Danish rule over Norway, including the heavily Danish-influenced Bokmål language that had been imposed on Norway at the expense of distinctive Norwegian regional dialects.
“Haugtussa” was Garborg’s most influential Nynorsk masterpiece. It gained international acclaim after Grieg set 8 of Garborg’s 70 poems to music in his Op 67 Haugtussa Song Cycle, widely considered to be among Grieg’s finest songs.
Halverson’s translation delves into the depths of the story, beyond the love story that Grieg set in his song cycle. It reveals the rich inner life of the otherworldly heroine, Velsemøy, the mountain maid (Haugtussa).

Dramatic readings of Halverson’s English translation will be presented by Norwegian actress Wench Strømdal.
Reception and book-signing will follow.

This event also leads up to another upcoming, related EGSMN event – the Nov. 2 premiere of “The Temptations of Veslemøy,” with Kjell Habbestad’s musical settings for voices, piano, oboe, and bass of Halverson’s translations of Garborg’s masterpiece.

A suggested donation of $15 is requested. Thank you!

Musical Migration: Laura Loge & Steven Luksan
2025-09-14 13:30 - 15:00 | Mindekirken: The Norwegian Lutheran Memorial Church, 924 E 21st St, Minneapolis, MN, 55404, United States
On July 4, 1825, the sailing ship Restauration left Stavanger, Norway, carrying 52 Norwegians looking for a better life in the United States. Arriving on October 9, 1825, these immigrants were soon followed by hundreds of thousands of other Norwegians in the following decades.
To mark the 200th anniversary of this voyage, pianist/composer/researcher Steven Luksan and soprano/Nordic art song expert Laura Loge are presenting concerts, lecture-recitals, and workshops throughout the United States and Norway featuring music by Norwegian immigrant composers. Much of the music they will present has been found through archival research and has not been heard in decades.
More information on Steven’s website

Heritage: Oda Voltersvik, Piano
2025-07-20 13:30 - 15:00 | Mindekirken: The Norwegian Lutheran Memorial Church, 924 E 21st St, Minneapolis, MN, 55404, United States
PURCHASE TICKETS: CLICK HERE

Solo recital by pianist Oda Voltersvik
“Heritage” — A celebration of the Bicentennial Anniversary of the first Norwegian Settlers in America and the continued cultural bonds between United States and Norway.

With this concert, Voltersvik aims to reflect the emotions connected to building a new life in a new land. Pieces describing the life of the Norwegian farmers settling in the Mid-west and the beloved Norwegian Folk Traditions are also included.
Music of Harald Sæverud, Edvard Grieg, and Geir Tveitt.

Oda Voltersvik “an artist with the talent to make a serious name for herself” (Scottish Press and Journal), has performed at international festivals and venues such as Carnegie Weill Recital Hall, Victor Borge Hall, Wigmore Hall, St Martin in the Fields, Norwegian Opera House, Bergen International Festival and Palermo Classica International Festival. She has appeared as soloist with orchestras internationally and as solo- and chamber musician for important concert societies in Europe and in the Unites States. For ten years, Voltersvik has been invited as artist-in-residence for a week at the Edvard Grieg Museum in Bergen, among other recital engagements at KODE composers homes. Her recordings “Neo” (solo), “Firebird” (solo) and “Khoreia” (piano duo) have received critical acclaim for their well-thought-out programme choices, technical skill and artistic expression. She won first prize of the Bradshaw&Buono International Competition in 2017 and the honourable work grant from the Norwegian Arts Council in 2021-2022. Voltersvik received her Master in Performance Degree from the Royal College of Music London, and afterwards an Artist Diploma from Trinity Laban London with distinction from the Intercollegiate Jury. Since then, she has been managing solo projects and concert series for her Volt&Potenza duo, Volt Ensemble and more. Currently, Oda is continuously touring and appearing with orchestras in the US with a visa for “Individuals with extraordinary ability in the arts”.

For the “Heritage” tour, Voltersvik has received additional project support from the Bergen City Council, Norway.
This concert is a presentation of Mindekirken with support of the Edvard Grieg Society of Minnesota.
