Edvard Grieg Festival Association records, 1969-2011

Overview of the Collection

Creator
Edvard Grieg Festival Association
Title
Edvard Grieg Festival Association records
Dates
1969-2011 (inclusive)
Quantity
1.03 cubic feet (2 boxes)
Collection Number
6199 (Accession No. 6199-001)
Summary
Records of the Edvard Grieg Festival Association, a Seattle, Washington-based non-profit organization that organized annual festivals about Scandinavian music and culture.
Repository
University of Washington Libraries, Special Collections
Special Collections
University of Washington Libraries
Box 352900
Seattle, WA
98195-2900
Telephone: 2065431929
Fax: 2065431931
speccoll@uw.edu
Access Restrictions

Open to all users.

Languages
English

Historical NoteReturn to Top

In 1967, Seattle began a sister-city relationship with Edvard Grieg's hometown of Bergen, Norway. In honor of this relationship, and in recognition of the Norwegian heritage of many Seattle residents, Seattle's annual Grieg Festival was founded in 1969. Its main purpose was "to further interest in the best of Scandinavian music and culture in general, especially in areas where we see a void, or where special opportunities present themselves—and always with a special emphasis on Edvard Grieg and all that he represents" (Second Annual Grieg Festival program, 1970). The Grieg Festival was held annually for many years throughout the 1970s, but then remained dormant for almost twenty years. In 1997, in order to form a stronger organization, the Edvard Grieg Festival Association joined the Seattle-Bergen Sister City Association, which sought to strengthen ties between Seattle and Bergen. The organization continued to offer musical programming, and in 2014, the annual Edvard Grieg Gala was re-established.

Content DescriptionReturn to Top

Materials include correspondence, photographs, event guest book, scrapbook, publicity, festival programs, and newspaper clippings relating to the Edvard Grieg Festival Association and annual Edvard Grieg Festivals. Also included are correspondence, memos, and programs regarding the Seattle-Bergen Sister City Association.

Historical BackgroundReturn to Top

Edvard Grieg was born on June 15, 1843 in Bergen, Norway. He began studying music at an early age, and played piano and violin throughout his childhood before enrolling at the Leipzig Conservatory. After moving to Copenhagen in 1863, he became one of the founders of Euterpe, the Copenhagen concert society for the production of works by young Scandinavian composers. From 1865 to 1874, he and his wife, Nina, lived in Rome and Oslo before building their home, known as Troldhaugen, near Grieg's hometown of Bergen. Grieg is considered to be Norway's greatest classical composer. His work is rooted in Norway's national folk tradition, and is praised for its refined lyrical sense. Some of his most well-known works include Piano Concerto (Opus 16), String Quartet in G Minor (Opus 27), Peer Gynt (Opus 23), and Norwegian Peasant Dances (Opus 72). Grieg died in Bergen on September 4, 1907.

Use of the CollectionReturn to Top

Restrictions on Use

Creator's literary rights transferred to the University of Washington Libraries.

Administrative InformationReturn to Top

Arrangement

Materials are arranged by subject.

Acquisition Information

Donated by Bernice Chouery, 2015-09-03

Separated Materials

Material Described Separately:

Edvard Grieg Festival Association photographs (PH2017-085)

Detailed Description of the CollectionReturn to Top

 

Container(s) Description Dates
Box/Folder
1/1 Grieg Festival guest book 1969
1/2 Fliers, posters, and notes relating to the Grieg Festival 1969-2005
1/3 Grieg Jubilaeum 1993
1/4 Grieg Festival newspaper clippings 1970-1977
1/5 Correspondence and fliers relating to the dedication of the Edvard Grieg statue 1973, 1990, 2010
1/6 Correspondence 1975-2004
1/7 Seattle-Bergen Sister City Association 1995-2011
1/8 Programs and ephemera 1970-2008
1/9 August Werner memorial 1980
1/10 Photographs, fliers, and brochures from scrapbook 1970s
1/11 Book, pamphlet, and brochures about Grieg 1970s
2 Scrapbook about the Grieg Festival
Scrapbook includes photographs, correspondence, pamphlets, fliers, brochures, and newspaper clippings.
approximately 1965-1975

Names and SubjectsReturn to Top

Subject Terms

  • Music festivals--Washington (State)--History--Sources
  • Personal Papers/Corporate Records (University of Washington)

Corporate Names

  • Edvard Grieg Festival Association--Archives