Maja S. K. Ratkje

Maja Solveig Kjelstrup Ratkje (born 29 December 1973 in Trondheim, Norway) is a Norwegian vocalist and composer. She plays on vocals and electronics instruments. Career Ratkje studied composition at the Norwegian Academy of Music in Oslo under the tutorship of Lasse Thoresen, Olav Anton Thommessen and Asbjørn Schaathun, and got her diploma in 2000. During the summer of 1999, Ratkje studied at IRCAM and she has also studied individually with composers such as Louis Andriessen, Sofia Gubaidulina, Ivar Frounberg, Klaus Huber, Joji Yuasa and Kaija Saariaho. She performs and releases music for concerts, recordings, films, installations, theatre, dance and other performances. Maja is a member of SPUNK, a Norwegian improv group, and Agrare, a performance trio consisting of the noise duo Fe-mail and the Swedish dancer Lotta Melin. She has collaborated with, among others, Jaap Blonk, Lasse Marhaug, Joëlle Léandre, Per Inge Bjørlo, Stian Westerhus, Kathy Hinde, Odd Johan Fritzøe, POING, HC Gilje, Stephen O’Malley, Ikue Mori, and Zeena Parkins. As a vocal soloist, Ratkje has performed with ensembles Engegårdkvartetten, Trondheim Symphony Orchestra, The Norwegian Radio Orchestra, BBC Scottish