Instruments worth 13 million available to the orchestra
Instruments worth 13 million available to the orchestra
From left: Bjørg Beate Kristiansen (Sparebanken Norge), John Harrison (purchasing consultant), Erik Zeppezauer (double bass section leader, KSO) with his 1845 Gaetano Rossi double bass, Edvard Erdal (first concertmaster, KSO) with his 1843 Giuseppe Rocca violin, Trond Skjæveland (Sparebanken Norge), Armando Toledo Aribú (second violin section leader, KSO) with his 1690 Francesco Rugeri violin, Kjell Åge Stoveland (alternate principal viola, KSO) with his 2025 Kelvin Scott viola, Pål Svendsberget (director, KSO). In addition, two newly built violins have been purchased from the renowned Norwegian violin maker Jørn Nygaard.
“This is a unique partnership in Norway, and it really means a lot to us in the orchestra,” says Pål Svendsberget, director of the Kristiansand Symphony Orchestra (KSO). A partnership with Sparebanken Norge is now providing the orchestra with six new high-quality instruments.
Means a lot
Four musicians in the KSO are currently getting acquainted with their respective instruments, which were made between 1690 and the present day. Thanks to a 13-million-kroner investment in 2025, one double bass, two violins, and one viola are now ready for use, to the delight of both the audience and the musicians. And two more violins are on their way.
– We have decided to strengthen the leadership roles in the orchestra with instruments that are new to us, and we are incredibly grateful for this opportunity. It means a lot to us in the orchestra that such an opportunity is available locally, says Svendsberget.
Increases the value
In 2016, the bank launched an instrument fund designed to invest in high-quality instruments for use by the finest classical musicians and particularly talented musicians in Southern Norway. That same year, three instruments were purchased for 10 million kroner; these instruments are used by musicians in the KSO and are now valued at 18 million. This has made further investments possible.
Bjørg Beate Kristiansen, a member of the executive management team at Sparebanken Norge, is confident that the new investments will make a difference for the orchestra.
Win-win situation
“With this fund, we wanted to strengthen classical music in the region, and we believe that better instruments can both attract and retain musicians in key roles within the orchestra,” she says, continuing:
– KSO is a cornerstone of the classical music scene in Southern Norway, and it makes sense to us that contributing in this way will have a ripple effect on the orchestra’s future development. Furthermore, this is an excellent investment for us. So this is a true win-win situation for the music community and for the bank.