Byåsen School Orchestra is one of the four string orchestras for children in the city of Trondheim, Norway. It was founded in 1978. The orchestra has 3 levels: junior, intermediate and experienced. We have 69 members all together, the children/youngsters are aged 7-18.
In Trondheim we have a strong tradition for the education of young string players through Trondheim School of Music and performing Arts. The parents attend lessons together with their children and it is common to start taking violin lessons at the age of 5. This is a tradition we support in the orchestra as the parents may attend on the same terms as their children.
Byåsen School Orchestra has many and varied activities. We give concerts at the local schools, the local church and we cooperate on larger scale productions with other orchestras. Through the activity our members acheave orchestral skills, repertoar skills and some get to perform as soloists. The Orchestra is a social meeting place for the young string players in Byåsen, and by providing musical and social events we try to inspire and develope our pupils. We arrange seminars and weekends with professional insructors each term and we have successfully ordered and performed music from local composers.
Every second year we go on longer tours. In 2006 the main orchestra was visiting Bath in Sommerset, UK, and the orchestra has preveously visited Estonia, Holland and The Czech republic.
Marit Laugen, the conductor of both the Junior and the Chamber Orchestra, and Kristin Reigstad, conducting the Main Orchestra are professional violinists and string teachers in Trondheim.
Byåsen Skoleorkester 