Born in Hammerfest, situated some 450 km north of the Arctic Circle, Ole Olsen was a contemporary of Grieg and Svendsen. He studied at the conservatory in Leipzig and, returning to Norway in 1874, he completed his Symphony No.1.

From early in his career he had been influenced by the major works of Wagner and Liszt, and it is possible that Liszt’s symphonic poems were the inspiration for Asgaardsreien (The Ride of Asgaard). In the work, Olsen vividly depicted the mythical ‘Wild Hunt’.

This fascinating composer and his colourful music are portrayed here in the first recording by the Arctic Philharmonic Orchestra, based in the region of Tromsø-Bodø. The orchestra’s flamboyant chief conductor, Christian Lindberg, also appears in his guise as trombone virtuoso in the first ever recording of Olsen’s Concerto for Tenor Trombone and Orchestra from 1886. Rune Halvorsen is the conductor in the Trombone Concerto.