THE ORGAN

4554 pipes, 300 cubic meters and a height of ten meters

The organ has been built at the front of the orchestra hall, Fartein Valen, above the stage. With its sixty-five voices it can be compared to similar concert organs in Europe. It is unique in Norway in being the only organ with which it is possible to perform the symphonic organ repertoire with an orchestra.

In addition, the organ is tailored to the hall’s acoustics. Each of the 65 000 parts is handmade. The instrument can be seen as a work of art with its own personal characteristics. It unites the French organ traditions with Nordic impulses.

The organ has become famous in Norwegian music circles for its high quality and innovative programming and has been played by some of the world’s foremost organists.

In November 2018, Stavanger Concert Hall presented “Messiaen Complete”, an event featuring the complete organ works of organ composer Olivier Messiaen, all in one day. Read more about the unique project here.

Composer and performer Nils Henrik Asheim is the Concert Hall’s organist. He has twice won a Spellemannspris (Norwegian grammy award), had commissions for the Olympic Games and the royal family and is well-known as one of our foremost contemporary composers and for his original approaches to classical music.

The organ, with its 4554 pipes, was built by Ryde & Berg, Fredrikstad. The facade was designed by architect Ulf Oldæus.