Wolfgang Plagge

Biography

Wolfgang Plagge (born 23 August 1960) is a Norwegian composer and pianist.

Biography

Born 23 August 1960, Plagge started playing the piano as four years old, and made a sensational recital debut in the University Hall in Oslo, only twelve years old. He also started composing at an early age, had his first work published aged twelve, and is particularly renowned for his works for wind instruments. Despite a rheumatic disorder Plagge often performs as pianist and has played with several leading orchestras. He has received several awards for his musical work. He has been performing as a soloist with a large number of orchestras in and outside of Norway, and has worked with internationally renowned artists like Ole Edvard Antonsen, Jens Harald Bratlie, Aleksandr Dmitriyev, Philippe Entremont, Lutz Herbig, Piotr Janowski, Evgeni Koroliov, Solveig Kringlebotn, Truls Mørk, Robert Oppenheimer, Robert Rønnes, Leif Segerstam, Randi Stene, Roberto Szidon, Lars Anders Tomter and Frøydis Ree Wekre.
Plagge has since he was 8 years been organist and eventually Cantor in Asker and Bærum congregation of The Catholic Church in Stabekk, Norway. He has a significant number of musical contribution to the Catholic hymnbook in Norway, "Lov Herren" (Praise the Lord).
In 2007, he was the recipient of the Hungarian The international cultural order of knights of St. Stefan which is Hungary's highest civilian honor for his work on promoting Hungarian music and culture in the Nordic countries, as well as his work with the teaching technique of Zoltán Kodály.

Honors

1970: Talent award at British television
1971: Youth Piano Championship in Oslo
1996: “Composer of the Year” with the Trondheim Symphony Orchestra
2001: American ASCAP Award
2003: Winner of Vocal Nord composers’ contest
2014: Bærum Culture Award

Discography (in selection)

DISCOGRAPHY (COMPOSER)

MUSIC FOR TWO PIANOS op 17 (Koroliov Piano duo) 2L CD6
ELEVAZIONE op 21 (Boye Hansen / Bratlie) BD 7035C
ASTEROIDE SUITE op 33 (Follesø / Kjekshus) 2L CD14
SONATA I op 39 horn & piano (Bonet / Banados) Verso VRS 2003
SONATA I op 43 bassoon & piano (Rønnes / Knardahl) SIMAX PSC1077
FESTIVAL MUSIC op 46 no 3 (HMKG symph. Band / Andresen) SONET SCD 15022
CONCERTO op 49 horn & orchestra (Wekre / TSO) SIMAX PSC1100
MONOCEROS op 51 (Wekre) 2L CD25
CANZONA op 53 (Arctic Brass / Plagge) SIMAX PSC1074
MUSIC FOR CELLO op 54 (Kvalbein) Aurora ACD 5040
SONATA op 64 euphonium & piano (Olsrud / Hennig) SSO01
FACSIMILES op 66 (Faukstad) BD 7028C
SONATA II op 67 horn & piano (Wekre / Plagge) 2L CD25
SÓLARLJÓÐ op 68 (Kringlebotn / Plagge) 2L CD5
CONCERTO GROSSO II op 85 (Koroliov Piano duo / Stensø / Arctic Brass) 2L CD6
SONATA III op 88 horn & piano (Wekre / Plagge) 2L CD25
RHAPSODY op 89 (Follesø) 2L CD14