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Bjørn Fongaard

1919 – 1980

Norwegian musician and composer

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About Bjørn Fongaard

Lived 1919 – 1980 (aged 61). Bjørn Fongaard was a Norwegian composer and guitarist.

Bjørn Fongaard (2 March 1919 in Oslo – 26 October 1980 in Oslo) was a Norwegian composer, guitarist, and teacher. In addition to being concerned with microtonal and electronic music, he was perhaps the first to use the prepared guitar. "Fongaard's output is considerable...Due to the partly experimental notation, these works have not become widely known." He started off by constructing a quarter tone guitar with adaption of the fretboard, but very early left this in favor of a diverse set of prepared guitar techniques. His first pieces in this genre came in the mid 60's. A sampler CD of his own recordings entitled Elektrofoni: Works For Micro Intervallic Guitar 1965-1978 was released in 2011. In 2015, a double disc of new recordings by Norwegian guitarist Anders Førisdal was released on Aurora Records.

List of works Galaxy op. 46 Homo Sapiens op. 80 Genesis Sinfonia Microtonalis op. 79 Orchestra Antiphonalis Symphony of Space Universum Mare Tranquilitatis 23 Concertos for Piano and Orchestra 0p. 118 12 Concertos for Solo Instrument and Orchestra op. 120 21 String Quartets op. 123 57 Sonatas for One Instrument op. 125 41 Concertos for Solo Instrument and Tape op. 131

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Important facts

Birth century
Occupation
Nationality
Education
Oslo Conservatory of Music
Also known as
Bjørn Halsten Fongaard

Contemporaries

People whose lives overlapped Bjørn Fongaard's

Frequently asked questions

Who was Bjørn Fongaard?

Norwegian musician and composer (1919-1980)

When was Bjørn Fongaard born?

Bjørn Fongaard was born on 2 March 1919 in Oslo.

When did Bjørn Fongaard die?

Bjørn Fongaard died on 26 October 1980 in Oslo.

What was Bjørn Fongaard's occupation?

Bjørn Fongaard was a composer and guitarist.

What nationality was Bjørn Fongaard?

Bjørn Fongaard was Norwegian.

Sources & further reading

· Wikipedia: Bjørn Fongaard

· Wikidata: Q1659721

· DBpedia: Bjørn Fongaard

Cite this page

APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Bjørn Fongaard. https://biography.guide/bjorn-fongaard/

MLA: "Bjørn Fongaard." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/bjorn-fongaard/.

Chicago: "Bjørn Fongaard." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/bjorn-fongaard/.

Data last updated: 2026-09-20 · Spot an error? Report a correction.

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