Gold Subscription
After snagging gold-level season tickets to the Kristiansand Symphony Orchestra’s concerts, former municipal doctor Dagfinn Haarr and his wife Bente Knudsen have realized that they have become addicted.
“We’ve gotten into the habit of going to concerts with the symphony orchestra on Thursdays, yes. It’s become a natural part of our week, and on the weeks there isn’t a concert, something feels missing,” smiles Bente Knudsen.
“It’s not the worst addiction you can have,” her husband, Dagfinn Haarr, interjects.
After several years of attending carefully selected concerts with the orchestra, Knudsen and Haarr took the plunge and purchased a gold subscription six seasons ago.
“It’s really been wonderful, and we haven’t regretted it for a second. Before, we mostly chose music we were already familiar with. On top of that, we now also go to concerts featuring music that might be completely new to us. It’s given us so many amazing experiences,” they say.
Fellowship and dinner
In addition to the artistic quality, the couple emphasizes the sense of community that surrounds a concert.
“As for us, our concert evenings start with dinner at our friend Torhild’s place, before we head out together for a pre-concert chat and then the concert itself. Inside the hall, we often see the same people sitting around us, and we’ve actually made new friends because of that. Some of them we only see at concerts,” they say.
For many years, the two have been very active participants in the city’s cultural life themselves, and enthusiastic choir singers in “most” of the city’s choirs. They highlight several collaborations between the symphony orchestra and groups outside Kilden particularly special highlights in recent years.
Unique Collaborations and Gupta
“The Christmas Gospel, for example, where members of the city mission read the passages, was absolutely wonderful. There’s something particularly special about the orchestra inviting in groups of people you don’t usually associate with classical concerts. These encounters can result in something especially powerful and memorable,” says Knudsen.
“Yes, and of course there are many highlights in the regular concerts with the orchestra. It’s hard to single out just one, but I remember very well when Rolf Gupta conducted the Eroica. There was an energy up on the podium that I’ll never forget,” Haarr adds.
They also believe the 2026–27 season will be full of highlights.
“I can’t understand how they managed to book Martha Argerich. But it doesn’t matter. Because one thing’s for sure: we’ll be in the audience that night too,” says Haarr, before they both head to the box office to secure their usual seats in the auditorium—row 9, seats 10 and 11.