NOR59

NOR59 String Institute was originally found- ed in 1972 as Nordstrandhøgda String Or- chestra, an amalgamation of several school orchestras from local schools in the Nord- strand area of Oslo, Norway.

In 2009 Thorn Magnus Reymert took over as conductor. At that time the orchestra consisted of 12 members. Reymert had high ambitions and a desire to create a large and unique orchestral environment. A focus on extensive recruitment was initiated, and to- day the orchestra has 130 members divided into five levels: Chamber, Main, Junior, Aspi- rant and Pre-aspirant orchestras.

From the orchestra’s 130 members, 20 well- functioning chamber groups have been formed, each of which receives weekly tuition and reg- ular performance opportunities. NOR59 also runs it’s own Summer Course that attracts chil- dren and youth from all over Norway.
In 2017 the orchestra entered into an important financial agreement with the Kavli Fund which opened up for significantly increased activity. Over the following year NOR59 was able to initiate extensive concerts and tour activities in Norway and Europe. A close collaboration with the professional orchestra The FeelHarmony, led by the inter- nationally renowned violinist and conductor Stefan Plewniak, has made a series of large symphonic productions possible.

Diversity is a key value in NOR59, something which is consciously developed in order to create an orchestral environment where everyone has the opportunity to participate regardless of their particular background. In 2013 Kari Gustavsson published the report “A Reasonable Chance” based on interviews conducted with orchestra members. The in- terviews in the report aroused strong emotions among many and stands out as a unique mani- festo of a successful integration project. Gustavsson’s report resulted in Her Majesty Queen Sonja visiting the orchestra in October 2014