Get to know our two hosts, the conductor and
The Norwegian Radio Orchestra.
The hosts
Photo: NRK/Robert Rønning
Silje Nordnes,
journalist and NRK host
Comes from Hamarøy near Bodø. Silje has hosted several TV shows, including the biggest live entertainment hit on Norwegian television recently, “Maskorama” (“The Masked Singer”).
She also hosted the opening program of “Bodø2024 – European capital of culture”, and last year she co-hosted the first ever live broadcast from The Oslo Pride Parade.
Silje started out as a reporter and host on P3, the NRK youth music radio channel. She is also currently featured in a popular podcast about cross-country skiing, “Skiklubben”.
While growing up, Silje played the violin for almost 10 years.
Photo: NRK/Robert Rønning
Mona Berntsen,
dancer and choreographer
Mona Berntsen, from Bærum near Oslo, has a Moroccan mother and a father from Tromsø in northern Norway.
She won "So You Think You Can Dance – Scandinavia" in 2008 and has spent 14 years in the US as a professional dancer, performing with stars like Justin Bieber, Alicia Keys, Madonna, and Justin Timberlake.
Mona is now back in Norway, and has appeared as a judge on “Norway`s Got Talent”, written a children book series about following your dreams and focuses on creative directing and choreographing upcoming performances.
Mona is inspired by the connection between classical music and dance. Her 2020 collaboration with The Oslo Philharmonic aimed to engage younger audiences through social media.
She also creative directed Norway’s 2024 Eurovision selection and the entry "Ulveham" with Gåte in the ESC final in Malmö.
As a child, Mona briefly played the clarinet and bassoon.
Silje & Mona
Mona and Silje got to know each other in 2023 as participants in Norway’s most popular celebrity reality show, “Kompani Lauritzen” (“Celebrity Task Force”), where Silje made it all the way to the final. They were challenged physically and mentally to become the best versions of themselves, leaving them with a unique experience and forming a tight bond.
Photo: NRK / Javier Auris
The Norwegian Radio Orchestra (KORK)
Founded in 1946, the Norwegian Radio Orchestra is today regarded with a unique combination of respect and affection by its public. Its repertoire is exceptionally wide, ranging from baroque, classical and contemporary to jazz, pop and rock. It is comprised of highly talented classical instrumentalists, yet its musical philosophy has remained the same: versatility, a light-hearted approach, a curiosity for all kinds of music, and an unwillingness to pigeonhole musical styles.
Given the orchestra's ability and enthusiasm to maintain an extraordinary diversity of repertoire, it frequently participates in a wide range of music events such as Ultima - Oslo Contemporary Music Festival, the Oslo World Music Festival, various jazz festivals, and many other events. But the national and international classical music heritage will always remain the foundation of the orchestra's projects and priorities.
Photo: NRK/Julia Maria Nagelstad
Eivind Aadland, conductor
Eivind Aadland is one of Norway’s leading conductors, who brings both historical rigour and fresh insight to his interpretations of Classical and Romantic repertoire. He is well known to audiences across Australia and East Asia, having toured the region extensively, and was Principal Guest Conductor of the Queensland Symphony Orchestra from 2011 to 2013. In 2020 he took up his new position as Chief Conductor and Artistic Director of the Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra, based in Hobart.
Eivind Aadland. Photo: Remi Chauvin
He has fostered loyal relationships with orchestras around the world, including the WDR Symphony Orchestra Köln, with whom he recorded a definitive five-volume set of Grieg’s complete symphonic works, Mozart’s Bassoon and Clarinet Concertos and most recently, Bartók’s Second Violin Concerto with Baiba Skride. Between 2004 and 2010 he was Chief Conductor and Artistic Leader of the Trondheim Symphony Orchestra, and he works with the National Orchestra of Belgium, Seoul Philharmonic, Tokyo Metropolitan Symphony, Oslo Philharmonic and Iceland Symphony orchestras. Recently he has worked with the Bergen Philharmonic, the Iceland Symphony, the Norwegian Radio Orchestra, the Uppsala Chamber Orchestra, and the Turku Philharmonic.