Bjarte Eike

Bjarte Eike pushes the boundaries of classical music, constantly looking for new projects in the borderland of genres, exploring the role of the musician on stage.

His work explores movement, playing from memory, singing and improvisation.

As the founder and Artistic Director of Barokksolistene, he has created new and innovative programmes including The Image of Melancholy dealing with sad songs and emotions through renaissance, folk and experimental music and the critically acclaimed The Alehouse Sessions, which explores 17th-century music from the pubs and alehouses in England and has found itself a home in spaces as diverse as barns and rock clubs, candlelit theatres and major concerts halls, including the Royal Albert Hall for BBC Proms.

Other major collaborations include staged productions at the Norwegian National Opera, Bergen International Festival, Den Ny Opera Denmark and Longborough Festival Opera. He has created bespoke programmes with modern ensembles as diverse as Royal Northern Sinfonia, Arctic Philharmonic, Helsingborg Symphony Orchestra and Netherlands Radio Choir. 

He is a noted composer and arranger, and recently co-produced Jess Gillam’s next album for Decca Classics. Sought after as a curator he has been Artist-in-Residence at several festivals, drawing together music from different traditions including folk, world and Baroque.