Biography

The chamber choir NOVA was started in 2001 by Anne Karin Sundal-Ask, current conductor for the Norwegian Girl Choir, as a project in connection with her major in choral conducting at the Norwegian Academy of Music. The project was so successful that the choir and conductor decided to continue the collaboration. The choir was officially founded in 2003, and Anne Karin conducted the choir up to 2012. From 2013-2015, the choir was led by Vivianne Sydnes, current cantor in the Oslo cathedral and associate professor in choral conducting at UiO. In the period 2015-2018 the choir was led by Yuval Weinberg. The choir has received awards in several prestigious international choir competitions. These include Guido d'Arezzo in Italy (2004), Certamen Coral de Tolosa (2007), Grieg International Choir Festival (2009), EBU's Let the Peoples Sing (2009), and International Chamber of Commerce Marktoberdorf (2017). They also released three records: "Nova" in 2008, Christmas album "To Whom We Sing" (with Tora Augestad as soloist) in 2011, and "Of Light and Dust" in 2019. All the albums are published on LAWO Classics and have received great reviews. The choir's around 30 singers have different backgrounds but have a common goal of conveying beautiful music. The chamber choir NOVA is now led by the young and ambitious conductor Julia Selina Blank.