Classical / world music composer and keyboardis / flutist Øystein Sevåg
was born near Oslo, Norway in 1957, beginning piano lessons at age five. As a
teen he played bass in a rock band but returned to his classical roots in time to
study piano, flute and composition at a private Music Conservatory in Oslo; by
the 1980s, however, Sevåg had become fascinated by the possibilities offered by
the development of the synthesizer, and he plunged into electronic music with his
self-released 1989 debut LP Close Your Eyes and See. The product of five years
in the studio, the album slowly crept into Billboard’s New Age charts in the Usa,
and it landed Sevåg on the Windham Hill label to issue the follow-up, 1993’s Link.
He returned two years later with Global House, a record reflecting a newfound
interest in acoustic sounds and worldbeat textures, including didjeridoo and
string quartet; the ambient album Visual, a collaboration with guitarist Lakki Patey,
followed in 1996. Signing to the Hearts of Space label, Sevåg resurfaced in 1997
with the acclaimed Bridge, now including the Philharmonia Orchestra (London),
winning the Indie Award in USA for the best new age recording of the year. From
1999 to 2005 he lived in Freiburg, South Germany, where he among other things
has been working with music therapy together with Maria Sevag and the
psychologist Kathartina Martin.
