Magne Hegdal

Magne Hegdal, born in Gjerdrum on 27 December 1944, is a figure of Norwegian composition in the second half of the twentieth century. He initially trained as a pianist, making his debut in 1969, although he soon turned towards composition. That change of direction places him within the sphere of contemporary music in his country, where he has combined composing with teaching and criticism.

He studied composition with Conrad Baden and Finn Mortensen at the Oslo Conservatory, where he obtained a postgraduate degree in 1972. He later taught composition and music theory at the Norwegian State Academy of Music. In parallel, he wrote articles on music and worked as a music critic for the newspaper Dagbladet between 1969 and 1985. His works have been performed at several international festivals, and the Norwegian Society of Composers awarded him its Composition of the Year prize on four occasions, for Morgensolens sange, Konsert, For 2 no.3 and Grande symphonie de salon. The last of these was also shortlisted for the Nordic Council Music Prize in 1997.

In the 1970s and 1980s his language moved from serialism to aleatoric music inspired by Cage. Since then he has sought a freer style, in which he attempts to synthesise constructivism and intuition, order and chance. His works of the 1990s display a classical modernist air, with gestures recalling Webern, although he often juxtaposes these elements with quotations, explicit or not, from earlier musical traditions.

His catalogue encompasses stage works, vocal music, orchestral works, chamber music and piano music, as well as a repertoire designed for children and amateurs. His legacy lies in this blend of constructive rigour and historical references, which makes him a composer attentive both to the avant-garde and to the musical memory of Norway and Europe.