Unni Løvlid

UNNI LØVLID

Unni Løvlid is from Hornindal in the county of Sogn og Fjordane in west Norway. She has been an active folk musician for some time, and has learned her music from many different sources in Hornindal, including Marta Seljeset Frøland. According to the classification system of the national folk music competition Unni belongs in the top category of folk musicians, something which provided her with a fundament for her masters degree at the Norwegian Academy of Music. Her wide-ranging musical activities include concerts and tours in Norway and abroad, and teaching engagements at the Norwegian Academy of Music, the Ole Bull Academy, and the State Theatre Academy. Unni has received a number of awards for her contributions to folk singing. She released her first solo recording So ro liten tull in 1999 on her own label, Løvlyd; the recording was subsequently released in book form by Lyche Musikkforlag. Unni participated on Listen – the Art of Arne Nordheim, Aurora 2002, and has contributed to a number of other recordings for Honndalstausene, Frie former 2000, NRK, Radio France, and Karl Seglem, among others.
In addition to her career as a solo performer Unni is a member of the trios RUSK with Frode Haltli and Vegar Vårdal), and FJØGL (with Liv Merete Kroken and Sigrid Moldestad). Unni is not afraid to do something in which she believes, and is continually involved in new productions and events. She is known for her collaboration on contemporary music projects as well as in folk music; in 2003 she performed in the premiere of Maja Ratkje’s opera No Title Performance and Sparkling Water during the Ultima Festival. At an event hosted by Ballade at Mono in 2004 Unni performed in a noise duo together with horn player and Fe-mail member Hild Sofie Tafjord.
One of her examen concerts at the Music Academy was a performance of Arnold Schönberg’s 1912 masterpiece Pierrot Lunaire together with the Academy’s contemporary music ensemble. In March 2005 Unni Løvlid is back with a new recording, VITA. The recording was made by Helge ”Deathprod” Sten at the Emanuel Vigeland mausoleum. VITA is based entirely on Unni Løvlid’s voice, and her presence and intensity as a performer. The material consists of thirteen religious folk songs.
Unni continues to embrace a wide range of art forms both on stage and in studio, and in April she performs the part of Ophelia in Hamlet. Unni has collaborated on several occasions with percussionist Terje Isungset and Accordion virtuoso Frode Haltli, both Norwegian musicians with contemporary coloured folk music, and together with performers of traditional music from the Chinese minority culture Dong, they open the Oslo World Music Festival 2005. They also released their first album together: Bridges. RUSK released their second album in February 2006 to critical acclaim the world over. A few months later Unni participated on the release Fortal – traditional songs from Hornindal, a production where her mother Oline Løvlid for several years has documented and put together the local singing tradition in Hornindal. Unni Løvlid was the first artist to receive Norwegian Folk Music Award 2006, during Folkelarm, September 2006. She altso performed with Unni Løvlid Ensemble: Unni Løvlid – vocal, Hild Sofie Tafjord - electronica, horn, Lene Grenager – cello. This ensemble has existed since 2004. Unni Løvlid has written all the music and lyrics. The musical style lies between melodical experimental electronica and folk music. Unni Løvlid was one of the featured artists on the release The Music to Draumkvedet / The Dream Ballad, in September 2006, composed by the legendary Norwegian Arne Nordheim.