Fra USA til KSO

[ultimate_spacer height=»60″ height_on_tabs=»40″ height_on_mob=»40″]

John and Amanda Harrison found each other in music. Now they have found Norway. And their dream life in Kristiansand.

- "Our plan for the future is Kristiansand now," say married couple John (38) and Amanda Michelle Harrison (34), bassist and horn player respectively in Kristiansand Symphony Orchestra (KSO). John is from a small town in South Carolina and Amanda grew up in New Jersey.

Over the past ten years, the two now highly qualified musicians have played and worked their way around the world before finding a foothold in southern Norway. Today they are part of the permanent line-up of the Kristiansand Symphony Orchestra, which consists of 71 professional musicians, 28 of whom are foreign nationals. Four of them are Americans, and two of them are also married to each other. 

Meet during your studies

John and Amanda met while studying at Temple University in Philadelphia.

- "We met in the university orchestra," says Amanda. John clarifies, "I remember it very well. We met in the lobby on the second floor of konsertsalen. - You wore a gray sweater and gray slacks," says John.

"I was dating another bassist at the time, but we quickly realized that it was just the two of us," says Amanda with a smile.

In 2007, while still in education, they got married.

- "My parents were incredibly supportive when I wanted to find out if I had the talent to become a professional musician," says John.

However, due to scholarship schemes, he initially chose to study music therapy, before fate decided otherwise.

- I studied with renowned bassist Hal Robinson for six years. Then I joined Temple's own symphony orchestra as a substitute bassist while earning a bachelor's degree.

- "I also thought I was going to be a music teacher," says Amanda. Her mother taught her piano at an early age, and when she was nine, she started playing the clarinet.

- Luckily, I was guided safely to the horn at school, and her love of music led her to study music at Temple. And to the second floor lobby.

Via New Zealand

It's not easy to get a permanent job in the same city when you're a symphonist.

- Worldwide, an estimated 25 vacancies are advertised annually
vacancies for symphony orchestra musicians per instrument, so there aren't exactly a lot of stable jobs. That's why the vast majority of symphony musicians are freelancers, and have to be willing to give up a lot to do what they love," says John.

And the couple illustrate this: Six months after their wedding, they received an inquiry that would turn their lives upside down.

- John called me and was very depressed after an audition that hadn't gone as he'd hoped. I comforted him as best I could," says Amanda.

Half an hour later, John called again. This time the tone was completely different, and the mood of defeat was reversed. What had happened?

"Would you like to move to the other side of the world with me?" he asked.

He had been offered a position as bassist in the Auckland Symphony Orchestra, and the deadline to respond was short.

- We made a decision, interrupted our studies and moved just after the New Year. It was a great learning experience for us, and it's an incredibly beautiful country to live in," says the couple.

They stayed in New Zealand for three years. However, house prices in Auckland made the dream of a civilian life impossible, and the Harrisons wanted more out of life than just a job. Through contacts, Kristiansand suddenly appeared on the map, and John was lucky enough to get a job at KSO when Kilden was completed five years ago. Amanda moved with him and secured a position as a permanent horn player a year and a half later.

- The adventure continued, says John.

Balance sheet

- We both come from the suburbs, from smaller towns, and have always wanted a balance in our lives. Even though we're passionate about our profession, work isn't everything," says Amanda.

- We have friends who play in some of the world's leading symphony orchestras. They give their all to music, tour a lot and rarely have more than a couple of days off a month. When we meet them and tell them about our social life in Kristiansand and everything we do here, we notice that they are envious.

Now the two of them are about to become true Kristiansand residents. John dreams of being able to teach double bass to children.

- It's almost a dying instrument. Very few people take up the bass as their first instrument, partly because it's so big and physically demanding. In recent years, however, there has been an unprecedented revolution in this area. Mini versions of the double bass are now being made that are just as high quality as the originals.

- We have no plans to use Kristiansand as a stepping stone to the next orchestra. We would like to stay here. KSO is a fantastic ensemble with a solid reputation, and is in the process of developing its own sound. The fact that so many nationalities mix their voices in the orchestra means that we are always open to impulses and learn to listen to our fellow musicians," says Amanda.

- Just as there are dialects in language, musicians also develop their own dialects and ways of playing. When we sit together with musicians from other corners of the world, we come together and learn from each other. Together, the international line-up forms a finely-tuned and distinctive orchestra, where we merge into a whole.

- A bit like the two of us," says Amanda.

_{Text: Amund Hestsveen}

_{Photo: Terje Sollie}