Lene Grenager

Lene Grenager (born 9 October 1969 in Halden) is a Norwegian contemporary composer and cellist.

Lene Grenager studied composition and cello at the Norwegian Academy of Music in Oslo with Aage Kvalbein (cello), Olav Anton Thommessen and Alfred Janson (composition). She has also attended seminars and lectures with composers such as Louis Andriessen, Gerard Grisey, George Benjamin, Brian Ferneyhough, Magnus Lindberg, Philip Manoury, Iannis Xenakis, Tristan Murail, Klas Torstensson, Alejandro Vinao, Bent Sørensen, James Dillon, Trevor Wishart and Judith Weir.

Grenager is active both as a composer and performer. Since her professional debut in 1995, Grenager has received commissions from Cikada, Ensemble Enrst, Trondheim Symphony Orchestra, Bodø Sinfonietta, Nordic Music Days and Affinis Ensemble. Grenager has also held portrait concerts at festivals Ultima Oslo Contemporary Music Festival, Bergen’s Borealis Festival and Harstad’s Ilios. Her works have seen performances at home and abroad including Huddersfield Contemporary Music Festival, Novembermusik, Sound of Stockholm, Ilios and Kalv Festival. As a composer, Grenager focuses on placing the voices of the performers of her works central in her works, all the while the composition’s core remains clearly defined by her. This approach has led to a varied notational technique and detail-intensive scores. Use of electronics and samples are integrated components of a number of Grenager’s works.

Grenager is a member of improv collective SPUNK, the quartet Lemur featuring Hild Sofie Tafjord, Michael Francis Duch and Bjørnar Habbestad and is also active in a duo setting alongside Swedish vocalist Sofia Jernberg. Grenager has penned commissioned works for ensembles such as Affinis Ensemble, Trio Alpaca and a number of other Norwegian and international ensembles.

Grenager has performed with SPUNK and Lemur throughout Europe and in the US at festivals such as Donaueschinger Musiktage, Huddersfield Contemporary Music Festival, Tectonics, Novelum, Moldejazz and Kongsberg Jazzfestival. She has also performed solo shows and collaborated with performers such as Joelle Leandre, Sten Sandell, Ellen Fullman, Albatrosh, Trondheim Jazz Orchestra and Phantom Orchard Orchestra. Grenager has also worked with representatives from other fields of arts including dancer, visual artists and actors.

Grenager has contributed as a producer, musician or composer on a number of outings, including the solo release Slåtter, slag og slark, Affinis suite and Systema Naturae – which was nominated for a Spellemannpris Award, the Norwegian equivalent to the Grammy, in two categories in 2013. 2002 saw Grenager bestowed with the Lindeman Price for youths.

• Tre religiøse folketoner (2015)
• Mechanical Resonance - Snap Dragon (2015)
• reconstruction / landscape with machines (2015)
• Khipukamayuq (2014)
• VEV (2013)
• asta Hansteens marsj (2013)
• practice-violence (2013)
• Alt tre skal beskytte deg (2013)
• Smilodon (2012)
• The Operation (2012)
• Prelude, Sarabande (2011)
• Rondo for Michael (2010)
• Broken reel 1 and 2 (2010)
• Five movements for two guitars (2010)
• a house and a tree (2010)
• Steal, stole, stolen (2010)
• Wave, curve, connect the dots (2009)
• Im Viereck (2009)
• Off soundings (2009)
• Sand, pebbles and gravel (2008)
• Moving the stones (2008)
• Recycled (2008)
• Garbled garden (2008)
• Say cheese (2008)
• Concrete (2008)
• Intermittent interplay (2007)
• Redolence (2007)
• Fumblemumble (2007)
• Systema Naturae (2007)
• Naturum non facit saltum (2007)
• Balladeriss (2006)
• Effect without cause (2006)
• Duped (2006)
• Cellokonsert (2006)
• Slåtter, slag og slark (2005-06)
• Tre eller blod (2005)
• Kvartett (2005)
• Baile (2005)
• Ein Hundeleben (2005)
• Garden works too (2004)
• Above Words (2004)
• Sirkler (2004)
• Attitude (2004)
• Garden Works (2003)
• Kvintett (2003)
• Late Feet (2002)
• Konkret Analyse (2002)
• Hver avreise er en hjemkomst (2002)
• Recycle (2002)
• Arkitektens trøst (2001)
• Ottos Mops (2000)
• Svolder (2000)
• Karavane III (2000)
• Karavane II (2000)
• Karavane (1999)
• Drei Goethe Lieder (1999)
• HCL (Helleristning II) (1999)
• Helleristning I (1999)
• KNUPS for SPUNK (1998)
• Tryllesangen (1998)
• Zyklus (1998)
• Nachts (1998)
• Rites and Ceremonies (1997)
• Fantasi over folketonen "Å, at jeg kunne min Jesus prise (1996)
• Pendulum sinfonietta (1995-96)
• Gudrun Gjukesdotter (1995)
• Orlando sinfonietta (1995)

• Marianne Baudouin Lie and Trondheim Sinfonietta: Khipukamayuk (2016)
• Lene Grenager: Works for bass (2016)
• Lene Grenager: Smilodon (2015)
• SPUNK Adventura Botanica (2014)
• SPUNK and Joelle Leandre: Live in Molde (2014)
• Trondheim Jazz Orchestra and Albatrosh: Tree House (2014)
• SPUNK: Das Wohltemperierte SPUNK (2013)
• Twined (2014)
• Systema Naturae: Alpaca ensemble plays Lene Grenager (2010)
• Lemur: Aigean (2010)
• Sofia Jernberg/Lene Grenager: Crochet (2010)
• Lene Grenager: Affinis suite (2009)
• Trondheim Jazz Orchestra and Kobert (2009)
• SPUNK Kantarell (2009)
• Grenager, Fetveit, Hegre, Olsen S: Ute (2009)
• Lemur 7 (2009)
• Eivind Buene: Asymmetrical Music (2007)
• Slåtter, slag og slar (2006)
• SPUNK: En aldeles forferdelig sykdom (2005)
• Ragnhild Berstad: Respiro (2003)
• SPUNK: Filtered trough friends (2003)
• Pendulum (2002)
• SPUNK: Den Øverste toppen av en blå flaggstang (2002)
• Zyklus (2001)
• SPUNK: Det eneste jeg vet er at det ikke er en støvsuger