Closing concert: Grieg & Vaular

Bergen legends in Grieghallen.

One of Norway’s most distinctive voices in contemporary hip-hop, Lars Vaular, captures the present with both vulnerability and precision in his writing. Since his solo debut nearly twenty years ago, his poetic universe helped define a whole era in Norwegian music – while continually moving beyond it.

Lars Vaular is not only a rapper. He is a cultural presence in his own right.

Now he takes on his largest performance with a symphony orchestra to date. The programme spans music from across his career, alongside something entirely new.

Kjetil Møster and Ole Morten Vågan have arranged the music for the Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra.

– They take care of the things that matter to me. It’s a blessing to play with a full band and the orchestra. The stories in the lyrics come through clearly, and at times it feels as if we’re creating small theatre scenes on stage, says Vaular.

Just like Vaular, Edvard Grieg combined artistic virtuosity with broad appeal. In his own era, he was the world’s best-selling recording artist. He composed his Piano Concerto in A minor at the age of 25, and the work became his major international breakthrough.

This year’s soloist in the concerto is Yulianna Avdeeva, a pianist celebrated for her passion, technical command and striking spontaneity.

The finale of the 2026 Festival brings together this year’s festival musicians in the Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra, led by Bjarni Frímann Bjarnason, Artistic Director of the BIT20 Ensemble. Bjarnason has conducted Björk’s world tour, collaborated with Ólafur Arnalds, and is known for his boundless creativity.

– Grieg created something in his time, and I create something in my era. Hopefully it will inspire someone else in the future, says Lars Vaular.

Top image: Edvard Grieg (photo: Axel Leverin) og Lars Vaular (photo: Shawn Arvind)