Knut Albrigt Andersen


Knut Albrigt Andersen was a Norwegian pianist.

Biography

Andersen first studied piano with P. Selberg and both Reimar and Robert Riefling. There after he went to Detmold in Germany and studied piano with Hans Richter-Haaser. In 1958 Andersen debuted in Oslo and won reputation as an outstanding pianist, with a special sense of lyrical play and delicate sound treatment. He became a sensitive and highly beloved accompanist. In 1956-57 he had a longer tour of the Soviet Union and Yugoslavia. He also toured extensively in Norway.
Andersen made a pioneering work for Harald Sæverud already in 1957, recording an album with tunes from Siljustøl. His educational work began at the Veitvedt Conservatory of Music and the University of Oslo. He moved to Bergen in 1966, where he taught at Bergen University College until 1968. There after he spent two years in Sweden, then returning to the Bergen Music Conservatory in 1970. It was the late Gunnar Sævig himself that asked him to return to Bergen before his death. He worked as a piano teacher and accompanist for a large number of students until 1999.
Andersen was well liked and many students kept in touch with him for many years after graduation. He took great interest in all of the students and contributed to educating musicians and music teachers. He was also an active musician, especially in his early years in Bergen, with concerts at Troldhaugen, with Bergen Filharmoniske Orkester and in NRK. There are hopefully a number of recordings that should now be taken care of and preserved, including Andersen in collaboration with several of Norway's premier singers. Den Nationale Scene also received important impulses from him, and he had many friends among the actors.
He was the father of the three musicians “Doddo”, “Tino” and Geir Luedy Andersen.

Discography (in selection)