Knut Kirkesæther – Musikk, mennesker og Lofoten
- Peder Pedersen
- 2 days ago
- 5 min read
Peder Pedersen
As the person responsible for the festival’s website and social media, I sat down with Executive Director Knut Kirkesæther to talk about the state of the festival after more than twenty years at the helm.
You have been Festival Director since the beginning in 2004. What has surprised you most along the way?
Perhaps that an idea which was quite simple to begin with has proved to have such lasting strength. Of course, we believed in the project, but it is fascinating to see how both audiences and musicians return year after year. To me, that says there is something genuine here, something that goes deeper than simply presenting a series of concerts.
When the festival started in 2004, neither you nor Arvid were beginners. You both brought many years of experience. Do you think that was an advantage?
Without question. By then I had worked as a musician and concert organiser for around twenty-five years, and Arvid had his own experience. We had seen projects that succeeded and others that failed. I think that made us very conscious of what we wanted to create. We were never interested in building something large or spectacular, but rather something authentic and sustainable. High artistic standards were a given, but just as important was creating a festival characterised by warmth, humour and an informal atmosphere. The music should be at the centre, not prestige.
What do you consider the festival’s greatest strength?
That we have never seen any contradiction between artistic excellence and informality. We want the very best musicians, but we do not want pomp or pretension. We want audiences to feel welcome, whether they have listened to Beethoven all their lives or are attending their very first chamber music concert. We try to talk about music in a way that invites people in rather than shutting them out.
Was making the festival accessible always a conscious aim?
Absolutely. I had worked as a musician in Lofoten and northern Norway for many years before the festival began, and I learned something important there. We had few institutions around us, few professional musicians and no long-standing tradition of classical concerts. In that situation, it makes no sense to speak to people as if they are already experts. If the music is to have a life, it has to be communicated in a way that awakens curiosity and joy.
I have never believed that classical music becomes more interesting by making it more solemn or more difficult. Quite the opposite. Music is a universal language, and we have always tried to present it in a down-to-earth and approachable way, with a bit of humour and without unnecessary technical jargon. People should not feel that they need a doctorate to attend a concert. They should simply feel welcome.
Many people speak about the special atmosphere surrounding the festival. What do you think creates it?
I think it is the combination of Lofoten and chamber music. The landscape, the light and the closeness between people create a special sense of calm. Lofoten Cathedral, Buksnes Church, Svolvær Church and all the other venues are wonderful concert halls. But it is also about participation. The festival lasts almost a week, and both the musicians and much of the audience share the whole journey. People meet again and again—at concerts, down by the harbour, over coffee or a meal. After a few days, there is almost a family feeling to it all.
And then there is something about the culture of northern Norway. People meet each other directly and without formality. Many of the great artists are surprised by how natural everything feels. You can hear a world-class musician perform in the evening and meet the same person the next day on the quay or in line at the bakery. I think that mixture of high artistic quality and relaxed informality is one of the reasons why both musicians and audiences keep coming back.
Perhaps that is why many people describe the festival as more than a series of concerts. For us, it is just as much about community as it is about individual performances. In a way, there is something very northern Norwegian about that.
You have welcomed some of the world’s finest musicians. What characterises the artists who thrive in Lofoten?
First and foremost, they are curious people. Naturally, they must be outstanding musicians, but there are many such musicians. I think those who enjoy it most are the ones who appreciate the sense of community and the informal atmosphere. Many return, not only because of the concerts, but because they feel at home. Perhaps that is the finest compliment we can receive. And many of these artists rarely have the opportunity during the rest of the year to play the chamber music of Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven and Brahms.
You and Arvid Engegård have worked together for more than fifty years. What has that meant for the festival?
We know each other so well that we often understand what the other is thinking before anything is said. At the same time, we are different, and that is a strength. Arvid is the artistic driving force, with an extraordinary instinct for musicians and repertoire. My role has been more on the producing side—making the festival happen through finances, organisation, board work and all the practical details that have to function in order to give the music the best possible conditions. We have had countless discussions over the years, but we have always agreed on the most important thing: that the festival should be characterised by quality, warmth and human closeness.
But no festival is created by two people alone. We have a board that has been tremendously important, and not least a wonderful group of volunteers. Many of them return year after year and have become part of the festival family. I honestly believe they deserve a large share of the credit for the atmosphere both musicians and audiences speak about. There is something about the way people are welcomed, the natural care and hospitality. Such things cannot be organised into existence. They come from the people involved, and in that respect we have been incredibly fortunate.
What do you look forward to most when the festival begins?
In truth, the same thing every year. Seeing musicians and audiences connect. Seeing a great artist sitting on the harbour with a cup of coffee, talking to someone who may never before have attended a chamber music festival. Those encounters give the festival a life beyond the concerts themselves. Personally, I have always had a special weakness for Chopin, so hearing Andsnes, Geniušas and Grosvenor perform this music will be something very special for me.
After twenty-two years, what are you most proud of?
Perhaps that we have managed to preserve the joy. That the festival still feels human and unpretentious. We have welcomed world stars, but nobody walks around star-struck. People eat fish soup together, meet on the quay and laugh at the same stories. I honestly do not think Arvid and I would have kept doing this for more than twenty years if it had not remained fun. And it still is.
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