Rolf Wallin; Haflidi Hallgrimsson; Arvo Pärt - Works for Viola & Strings (Lars Anders Tomter)

Information

Composer: Rolf Wallin; Haflidi Hallgrimsson; Arvo Pärt

1. Wallin - Under City Skin: I. The High-heeled Shoes
2. Wallin - Under City Skin: II. The Park at Night
3. Wallin - Under City Skin: III. Locomotive
4. Wallin - Under City Skin: IV. Pastorale
5. Hallgrimsson - Ombra
6. Pärt - Fratres
7. Wallin - Elegie

Lars Anders Tomter, viola

1B1

Date: 2026

Label: Simax Classics

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Simax Classics' album features music for viola and strings, performed by Lars Anders Tomter with the Norwegian ensemble 1B1 under Jan Bjøranger. The recording centers on works by Rolf Wallin, including the expansive viola concerto Under City Skin (2009), which explores the layered sounds and meanings of urban life, and Elegie, a more intimate piece reflecting personal loss. The album also includes Haflidi Hallgrímsson’s Ombra (1999), a poetic and atmospheric concerto highlighting the viola’s expressive range, and Arvo Pärt’s Fratres (1977) in an arrangement by Tomter. Together, the program contrasts urban energy with introspective and lyrical sound worlds.

Lars Anders Tomter (b. 1959, Furnes) is a leading Norwegian violist with an internationally acclaimed solo career established in the late 1980s through collaborations with the Norwegian Chamber Orchestra under Iona Brown. Renowned for performances at major venues such as Carnegie Hall, Wigmore Hall, and the Vienna Musikverein, he has appeared with prominent orchestras across Europe, the United States, and Asia under distinguished conductors. An active chamber musician and festival guest, he also serves as artistic director of the Norwegian Fjord Classics. Tomter maintains a broad repertoire, including contemporary works, records extensively, and is Professor at the Norwegian Academy of Music, performing on a historic 1590 Gasparo da Salò viola.