Ragnar Søderlind

Ragnar Søderlind (born 27 June 1945) is a Norwegian composer. He has written ballets and operas, and for the concert hall, programmatic works based on poems.

Biography Ragnar studied with Conrad Baden in Oslo and with Erik Bergman and Joonas Kokkonen at the Sibelius Academy in Helsinki. This was followed by studies in conducting at the Norwegian State Academy of Music where he is currently a faculty member.

As a composer, Søderlind initially composed orchestral works which were strongly influenced by late Romanticism and early 20th-century European music. His style has become more advanced over the years, yet throughout he has been a master of orchestration and has maintained his personal stamp on sound. In addition to orchestral music, his output includes incidental music for plays, ballets and operas. He has also arranged a considerable amount of music, including several works by Edvard Grieg, and he has recently written an opera that includes Grieg’s music for Olav Tryggvason.

Discography Søderlind's Violin Concerto has been recorded together with Johan Kvandal's on the Centaur label. Symphonies Nos. 2 & 3, "Rokkomborre", London Symphony Orchestra, Ragnar Söderlind conductor, Aurora label (1989).

Works 1962/63:“Jolsterslatt” for orchestra, op.2: 3 minutes 1964-65:“Preludium” for orchestra, op.4: 9 minutes 1965/77:“Pieta” for male voice and string orchestra, op.5: 6 minutes 1967: “Fra Nord til Sor” for symphonic band, op.7B: 3 minutes “Rokkomborre” for orchestra, op.8: 7 minutes + (Aurora cd) 1967-70:Symphonic Vision “Polaris” for orchestra, op.11: 14 minutes + (Aurora cd) 1968: Trauermusik for orchestra, op.12: 9 minutes + (Aurora cd) 1969: “Fantasia Borealis” for orchestra, op.14: 11 minutes 1971: Sinfonia minimale for youth orchestra, op.16: 4 minutes 1971-72:International Rhapsody for orchestra or small orchestra, op.17: 10 minutes 1973/75:“Two Pieces from the Desert” for Oboe and Small Orchestra, op. 21B: 11 minutes 1974: “Fra myggenes land” for symphonic band, op.18 1975/79:Symphony No.1, op.23: 27 minutes 1977/80:Cantata “Vaer utamodig, menneske” for chorus and orchestra, op. 25: 10 minutes 1978: Symphonic/Choreographic Drama “Hedda Gabler” for orchestra, op.26: 30 minutes “Dagsalme” for symphonic band and organ, op.28, No.2 1979: Symphonic Poem “Amor et labor”, op. 27: 10 minutes 1981: Symphony No.2 “Sinfonia Breve”, op.30: 14 minutes + (Aurora cd) 1981/88:Sinfonietta for brass and percussion, op. 31 A: 15 minutes 1982: Ballet “Kristin Lavransdatter”, op.32: 45 minutes Symphonic Poem “Kom havsindar, kom!, op.33: 5 minutes 1982-83:“Eg hev funne min floysne lokkar att I mitt svarmerus” for soprano and orchestra, op.35C: 10 minutes 1982-95:Symphonic Poem “Krans og kors”, op.64: 45 minutes 1983: Olavs Hymne” for male voice, chorus and orchestra, op. 36: 13 minutes “Septemberlys” for male voice and orchestra, op.37: 15 minutes Two Songs for male voice and orchestra, op.39B: 5 minutes 1984: Symphony No.3 “Les illuminations symphoniques” for soprano, baritone and orchestra, op.40: 35 minutes + (Aurora cd) “Toccata brillante over ‘Seier’n er var’ for orchestra, op.41: 4 minutes “Nasadiya/Upphavshymna”, op.42 for chorus and ensemble: 10 minutes Nostalgic Rhapsody “Eystradalir” for orchestra, op. 43: 12 minutes 1985: Symphonic Poem “Av hav er du komen” for four narrators, violin, women’s chorus and orchestra, op.44: 45 minutes 1985-86:Ballet Music “Victoria”, op. 45 (and Ballet Suite, op.45B: 15 minutes) 1986-87: Violin Concerto, op. 46: 34 minutes + (Centaur cd) 1988: Ecstasy for strings and timpani, op.45C: 6 minutes 1989: Passion Cantata for two voices, chorus and orchestra, op. 48 1990: Tone Poem “The Hour of Love”, op.45D 1990/95:Symphony No.4 “Sedimenti musicalii”, op.50: 30 minutes + (Aurora cd) 1991: “Transtromer”: Suite for voice, piano, two percussion and string orchestra or chamber orchestra, op.52 B and C: 25 minutes 1991-92:Cello Concerto, op.54: 36 minutes + (Aurora cd) 1992: Two Songs from texts by Hans Borli for low voice and orchestra, op. 55B: 5 minutes “Haugebonden”-Ten Ironic Variations on a Norwegian folk-tune for chamber orchestra, op.56: 10 minutes 1993/97:Symphonic Poem “Der Tanz des Lebens” for tenor and orchestra, op.67: 25 minutes 1994/95:Cantata “Bak morke vinter ventar ein var” for six solo voices, chorus and orchestra, op. 61: 25 minutes “De beste” for voice and small orchestra, op.62C: 2 minutes 1995: Fanfare Regale for orchestra, op.63: 1 minute 1995/2001:Symphony No.5 “Kvitsunn”, op.60: 28 minutes * Symphonic Suite “Angst”, op.68: 20 minutes 1996-97:Piano Concerto “Colosso”, op.70: 38 minutes 1997: Cantata “Rogden Sjo” for soprano, chorus and orchestra, op.72A 1998-99: Symphony No.6 “Todesahnung”, op.74: 45 minutes 1999: “Arle I old: Tanker ved et tidsskille” for lur, ram’s horn and orchestra, op.75: 7 minutes “The Hollow Men: A Penny for the Old Guy” (A Little Requiem for the 20th century) for male chorus and chamber orchestra, op.76:12 minutes 2001-02:Trumpet Concerto “Die Signale des Tods und des Lebens”, op. 80: 28 minutes 2001: “Rapsodia del teatro” for mezzo-soprano, cello and string orchestra, op. 82: 12 minutes 2002: Symphony No.7 “La Campane dell’Atlantico” for baritone, chorus and orchestra, op.85 B: 33 minutes 2002-03:Viola Concerto “Nostalgia delle radici”, op. 86: 40 minutes 2003: “Mother Bear” for chorus, harp, piano, timpani, two percussion and string orchestra, op. 87B 2004: “Sona-Torrek”-Melodrama for narrator men’s choir and orchestra, op.90 2004-05:Symphony No.8 “Jean Sibelius in memoriam”, op.95: 23 minutes 2005: Symphonic Incantations “The Great Mother Bear” for orchestra, op.92:20 minutes 2009: “A Nordic Requiem: a Mass for the Living and the Dead” for seven, soloists, chorus and orchestra, op.104: 120 minutes 2012: Symphony No. 9, "Il Grande Enigma", for Tenor, choir, and orchestra: 55 minutes 2013: The Waste Land - Dramatic cantata in 5 parts for Soprano, Mezzo-Soprano, Tenor and Bass baritone solo, chorus, and orchestra, op. 115 : 2 hours 2014: La Profezia della Veggante - Cantata drammatica in due atti, op. 117: 85 minutes 2017: Jötunheim – Eine kleine "Alpensinfonie" – For choir and orchestra, Op. 122 C: 23 minutes 2019: The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock: for Tenor and Orchestra, op. 127: 28 minutes 2020: Symphony No. 10, "Corona" for orchestra, op. 130: 28 minutes 2021: Symphony No. 11, "Corona part 2" for orchestra, op. 132: 46 minutes 2023: Symphony No. 12, Lyric Symphony for Soprano, Baritone, and Orchestra "Le Voyage", op. 138: 45 minutes