Kjell Habbestad

Kjell Habbestad (born 13 April 1955 in Bømlo Municipality) is a Norwegian contemporary composer. Career Habbestad studied church music at the Norwegian Academy of Music from 1976 to 1979 and graduated with a diploma from the composition course at the same institution in 1981, having studied with Olav Anton Thommessen, Finn Mortensen and Lasse Thoresen. Habbestad was active as an organist from 1974 to 1987 and, from 2013, is a professor at the Norwegian Academy of Music. Habbestad’s list of works comprises more than 60 works, including orchestra and chamber works, church music, cantatas, works for organ and piano as well as a number of choir works. His work Mostraspelet – a historic play depicting the Christianization of Norway – has seen annual performances in Bømlo since 1983. As a composer, Habbestad debuted with a first prize for his choir work Magnificat in TONO’s 1978 composition competition. Habbestad’s most central works to date includes the oratory Ei natt på jorda and the operas Hans Egedes natt as well as The Maid of Norway, both featuring librettos by Paal-Helge Haugen. Other key works include the string quartet Quattro Stazioni, the major piano work Hammerklavie’r, Munc