“Two words: sheer artistry – and it’s not often you’ll hear that said about drum solos”
Nature’s Percussionist
At just 6 years old, Terje wanted to be a drummer. Often heard accompanying his father, who played accordion, Terje displayed a natural rhythmic flair. This childhood tuneful passion turned professional, with many years of performing & touring with various bands, across many musical genres - crucial experience that provided fertile ground for Terje to develop his distinctive style as Nature’s Percussionist, by crafting his own instruments from natural elements.
Arctic birch, granite, slate, drums, bells - often accompanied by mouth harps and a bukkehorn - provide the core instrumentation of Terje’s original compositions that coalesce improvisation, jazz, folk rooted music and mesmerising vocals. In the press, Terje’s work is often described as innovative, visual, energetic, meditative and different from previously known musical concepts - Terje’s own world of aural wonder.
Terje’s unique sonic mix has led to composing 45 commissioned works for orchestras, choirs, festivals, dance performances, theatre and film. Alongside writing music and performing solo, Terje continues to work as a sideman by collaborating on projects and albums with other esteemed musicians like Didier Petit, Arve Henriksen, Per Jørgensen, Karl Seglem, as well as being a core member of the influential Nordic supergroup GROUPA.
“Outstanding work, from Terje Isungset, one of the most innovative percussionists in Europe today”
45 commissioned works spanning 23 years in 836 words:
Floating Rhythms Molde International Jazzfestival 10 musicians and 2 dancers 1999 Ein neger på Nes stasjon TV2 Norway. Documentary film. Arve Henriksen & Terje Isungset 1999 Under is Vinterspillene Lillehammer. Performed in a frozen waterfall with 17 musicians & dancers 2000 Nature and Technology EXPO2000 Hannover Germany. Opening concert of World Exhibition. Composed by Reidar Skår & Terje Isungset with 7 musicians 2000 European Culture City Bergen. Nattjazz 6 musicians, men’s choir and 3 dancers 2000 Kela 2000 European Culture Cities Reykjavik, Helsinki, Bergen. Modern dance company by Reio Kela. 2000 Livets virkelige risiko Det Norske Teater Oslo. Modern dance by Hege Tvedt 2001 Ingen veit kvar haren hoppar Vossajazz 100 performers 2002 Midt i mellom blå Festspillene, Bergen 50 years anniversary with 1 symphony orchestra, 1000 children & all church bells of Bergen. 2002 Rhythm Doctors Nattjazz / Bajazz Electronics, mouth harp, voices, dancers, skateboarders, BMX, scratch, rap, break dancers, baseballs, pyro etc 2002 Olje Håkonshallen Bergen Statoil 30 years based on sounds from worlds biggest Oil Rig 2002 Nett No Det Norske Teater Oslo. Modern dance / ballet by Kjersti Alveberg. 2002 Iceman is Autunnale festivalen - Bergen Icemusic on tape. 2002 Dumme Konger og grimme Troll Den Nasjonale Scene - Bergen Music for theatre 2002 Stemningar Odda Culture House 50 years annirversay. 90 musicians age 3 till 75 years. 2003 Skogsklang Lørenskog Sommerfestival Performed in the forest. 30 kids & dancers. 2003 Jotne Sunndal Kulturfestival Performed inside a mountain. In a power station. 2003 Vox Nattjazz Bergen 8 singers and band 2004 Emperors new clothes Old Bristol Vic Theatre England Music for theatre. 2004 Isens livsløp Swedish TV1 Documentary film of the Ice Hotel Sweden 2004 Rhythm keepers Vinterfestuka Narvik Performed with an electric band in a locomotive station 2005 Vardø Finnmark 1000 years. Choir, singer & band Outdoors concert 2005 Fly Moers Jazzfestival German opening concert. Based on bird sounds in surround system Electronics, singers, dancers,100 flute players, video & helicopter 2006 4 Moods Brass Wind Festival Norway A piece for Mouth Harp & Brass Band 2006 Global Ice Opening of World Environments Day Nobel Peace Centre Oslo. Icehorn, voice, water and ice sounds on CD 2007 OI OI Festspillene Bergen (Bølgen og Moi). Making food while playing on the food. 2007 Varm is Berge Domkirke. Percussion, ice on CD, dance 2007 Tider Church Jubile Choir, piano & percussion 2007 Mellom fjell For the Osa Festival. Strings, voices, trumpet, bass, drums 2007 Motorsagmassasjen Festspillene i Bergen Chain saw, circular saw, hand saw, axe, hardanger fiddle, mouth harp & voice 2008 Fossekall Concert in a waterfall in Hardanger. Cello, hardanger fiddle, trumpet, voice, drums, mouth harp & dancer. 2008 Norwegian Wood Opening of conference. Performing on tools 2008 Cinderella The Lyric Theatre London England. Composer & artistic director 2008 Runde Opening of Runde environments center Norway. Recordings of the sea & the birds at Runde + rams horn & mouth harp 2009 Water Festspillene i Bergen Sub Marines, sounds of whales, singers under water and band. 2009 Winter Bright Night at Opera North. Leeds England Icemusic made in surround 2009 Stork Segni d’Infanzia festival Italy. Recordings of birds, glass and percussion in surround system 2010 Ladegården 150. Ladegården kindergarden, Bergen – 150 years. Sounds of children, water, ice, mouth harp and rams horns 2011 Karsikko Flow Productions Finland. Contemporary dance company Rams horn, mouth harp, drums, percussion & voice – all made in a surround system. 2011 Is-slottet The Norwegain National Ballet Violin, voices, percussion, ice, piano 2012 Fedrelandet Documentary film TV2. Arve Henriksen & Terje Isungset. 2012 Bodypods: “Fingers” Podcast for The Guardian, Timeout and Fuel Theatre. Isungset using his fingers in cooperation with scientist. 2012 Moon Meditations commissioned concert for Icemusicfestival Geilo 6 icehorns, icelur, icetrumpet, iceharp, ice cello, ice percussion, icedrums, voices and surround sound system. 2014 Meditations CD with recordings from the South Pole, North Pole, Greenland, Canada, Russia, Sweden, Norway and glaciers in Europe. Icehorns, icepercussion, iceofone, trumpet, bass, voice, viola & electronics in cooperation with Reidar Skår. 2015 World of Glass Tallinn 2011 Capital of Culture. Glass instruments and music composed by Arve Henriksen & Terje Isungset 2015 Sildrande Vossajazz, Norway. Commissioned work. Trumpet, sax, bass, vocals, Hardangerfiddle, Viola D’Amore, drums, percussion, mouth harp, keyboards and surround sound. 2017 MunnHarpun! Fauskivalen Mouth harps, drums, percussion, keyboards, electronics, bass, vocals 2017 Suites of Nature Solo album recorded in an mausoleum. Nature percussion. Stones, mouth harps, drums, wood, percussion, slates, bells and a rams horn. 2019 Art of travel Trumpet and drums. A Covid-19 album done via internet Trumpet, drums, percussion & electronics. 2020 Tilstander av unntak Transiteateret Nature percussion and metal. 2020 Desibel Music and poetry Glass, ice, water, waterfhone, drums and mouth harps. 2020 On natures conditions Solo streaming from an igloo Ice instruments 2021 GANDR Frikar Dance company Mouth harps, drums, guitar, Joik and Nature percussion 2022 The Gretchen Question The Fuel productions London Ice instruments 2022 Inn frå regnet Det Norske teater (Nathional Theatre Norway) Mouth harps, rams horn, water, ice, piano and wood. 2022 Glacial poetry Solo album recorded in an igloo Ice instruments 2022. GANDR (Frikar Dance Ensemble) Mouth harps, drums, percussion, joik and guitar 2022.
Video animation below is beautifully imagined the amazing Simone Hooymans
