Liv Hugstmyr Særheim, a prominent figure in the city's music scene, is launching a talk show in autumn 2023 with former choir singers who are now active artists, such as Mari Bølla and Inger Lise Hope. In 2024, the show will focus on past stage performances, starting with "Mozart the Young" and featuring guests who played the role of Wolfgang and discussed life, singing and music.
ABOUT THE TALKSHOW Guests: Linn Carin Dirdal sang in SMJ from 1990-1995, received piano lessons from Jan Aanestad at the music school, and Kjetil Garvik was her piano teacher at the music school. She has a degree in journalism from the London College of Communication. At the same time, she wrote her own music and released EPs with various projects (Saa, LATER). Since 2011 she has been living in Oslo where she works as a freelance music and culture journalist. Trine Rødland Albretsen sang in SMJ from 1987-1991. She also played the piano at Sandnes Music School with Helge Helvig as a teacher, and was a member of Rogaland Children's Theatre. After Sandnes vgs, she took a law degree at the University of Bergen, worked in insurance, is now employed by Equinor Insurance AS as Managing Director and has sung for several years in the Stavanger Symphony Choir. A little info about Liv: Liv's choir has made its mark nationally and internationally. The trademark has been song and movement. There have been several victories in choir competitions and representation assignments for Sandnes and Norway at festivals and major events around the world. The choirs became nationally renowned through NRK's choir competitions and a place in the final of the talent competition ‘Norwegian Talents’. VIVA has sung at Carnegie Hall in New York, visited and sponsored orphanages in South Africa, made a music video with American cars in Havana, Cuba, sung in the Twin Towers concert hall in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, etc. Liv has received a number of awards and honours: Sandnes municipality's culture prize and effort trophy, Sandnes savings bank's honour prize, Norway's children's choir conductor, honours from the Lions Club and Rotary Club, the All-Can-Sing Award and the King's Medal of Merit.
Music veteran Liv Hugstmyr Særheim has played a pivotal role in the city's music scene for a number of years. Now she's starting a talk show. In autumn 2023, she invited former choir singers who are active artists both locally and nationally, including Mari Bølla and Inger Lise Hope.
In 2024, she starts a series based on previous stage performances. First up is the singing play ‘Mozart the Boy’. In the 1980s and 1990s, the Sandnes Music School Girls' Choir (SMJ) gave performances around Rogaland, which ended with engagements at the Harstad and Bergen Festivals. On Sunday 28 April, we will meet those who played the role of Wolfgang in this singing play. There will be an hour-long talk show with Liv about life, a lot of singing and music, and fun features. This is Liv's thank you to Sandnes for the opportunity to develop her own and others' talents.
Beth Iren Dirdal Jåtun sang in SMJ from 1977- 1983, received her first piano lessons from her father, Ragnar Dirdal, then Turid Otterbech Mørk, music school and Milena Dratnova, music clinic, went on to study at Gimlekollen Media Academy, the University of Oslo and the Norwegian School of Marketing. She has held several consultancy and management positions for various organisations and in business. She is now the owner and general manager of Bethiselskap, a company specialising in communication, marketing and text production consultancy. She is still active in the singing and music community. Beth Iren was the editor of the anniversary book ‘A Circle of Life’ published by VIVA, Sandnes kulturskolekor in connection with the choir's 50th anniversary in 2018.
Liv was born in Skien in 1946, trained as a singing teacher and music kindergarten teacher at the Music Conservatory in Oslo, at the same time she sang in the Norwegian Soloist Choir and started the Girls' Choir in Oslo in 1968. After completing her education, she moved to Alta before taking up a combined position in 1972 as a nursery music teacher at Sandnes Music School and singing teacher/choir leader at the newly established music school at Sandnes Handelsskole, now Vågen vgs. She has studied in Hungary and Austria. For 45 years, she was a choir conductor at the culture school. In 2019, she retired from the oldest choir, VIVA.
Liv has been a student at UiS since 2021. She is currently studying for a bachelor's degree in history. She is also one of the authors of Sandnes Historielag's yearbook for 2023, where she wrote about two music pioneers in Sandnes in the 1960s and 1970s: Kåre Opdal and Audun Vagle.
Last Updated: 04/27/2024
Source: Region Stavanger
