“We have a symphony orchestra, do you want a festival?”

These are the words that are said to have fallen from the Youth Symphony Orchestra’s Harry Kvebæk to Elverum’s mayor Markvard Bækken one summer day in 1973. The following year, the Elverum Festival was a fact, and annual festivals have been organized in Elverum and the surrounding area for five decades.

This year, the festival celebrates its 50th anniversary, and can look back on many memorable experiences after nearly 1,200 events and approximately 450,000 visitors.

Concerts, exhibitions and other festival experiences are organized primarily in Elverum municipality, but also in 15 other inland municipalities; Engerdal, Gausdal, Gjøvik, Grue, Hamar, Kongsvinger, Løten, Rendalen, Stange, Trysil, Tynset, Vang, Våler, Åmot and Åsnes.

The Youth Symphony Orchestra has been and still is the backbone of the Elverum Festival, and since its inception in 1974, the Festival has been a permanent showcase for the orchestra’s three annual productions. In addition, there have been countless other great festival experiences with both local and international artists.
Over the past decade, the Elverum Festival has had the pleasure of hosting the following performers during the festival:
_{Aksel Rykkvin – Alba Ventura – Alasdair Beatson – Alexander Sitkovetsky – Amalie Stalheim – Anders Baasmo Christiansen – Andrea Pellegrini – Andrej Nebb – Andrew Manze – Andris Poga – Ane Marthe Sørlien Holen – Anita Tjemsland – Ann-Beth Solvang – Ann Helen Moen – Annabelle Meare – Anne Blijdenstein – Anne-Marie Giørtz – Annette Hveem Narum – Arve Henriksen – Arve Tellefsen – Asle Karstad – Astrid Nordstad – Atle Pas – Atle Sponberg – Aud Ingebjørg Barstad – Audun Breen – August Schieldrop – Belgian Brass Quintet – Ben Nabarro – Bendik Hofseth Band – Berit Cardas – Berit Norbakken Solset – Birger Mistereggen – Birgitte Christensen – Bjarke Mogensen – Bjarte Engeseth – Bjørg Lewis – Bjørn Boysen – Bjørn Eidsvåg – Bjørn Kåre Odde – Bjørn Tomren – Bjørn Erik Schjerverud – Bjørn Ransve – Bugge Wesseltoft – Byrået – Børre Flyen – Catharina Chen – Catherine Winnes – CC Cowboys – Christian Eggen – Christian Grøvlen – Christian Vásquez – Christina Sandsengen – Clara Mouriz – Dagfinn Andersen – Daniel Herskedal – Daniel Schnyder – David Taylor – The Norwegian Soloists’ Choir – Dj Strangefruit – DumDum Boys – Einar Annar Evensen – Einar Sigstad – Eirik Raude – Eivind Henjum – Eli Furubotn – Eli Kristin Hanssveen – Eliahu Inbal – Elisabeth Norseng – Elisabeth Werp – Elise Båtnes – Elverum Mannskor – Elverum Vetrankorps – Emilie Heldal Lidsheim – Erlend Viken – Espen Berg – Espen Lind – Evgeni Koroliov – Filip Simeonov – Florian Donderer – Frida Tømmerberg – Frida Ånnevik Trio – Frode Alnæs – Frode Haltli – Frode Larsen – Frøydis Grodrud – Gabriel Øyen – Garth Knox – Geir Hjetland – Geir Inge Lotsberg – Geir Lystrup – Gemma Rosefield – Georg Buljo – German Brass – Giani Lincan – Gjermund Pas – Gisle Børge Styve – Guro Hjemli – Halldis Hoaas – Hanne Diserud – Hanne Korsbrekke Askeland – Hans Hulbækmo – Hans Kristian Kjos-Sørensen – Heine Totland – Helen Vikstvedt – Helge Lien – Henning Kraggerud – Hilde grønstad Sunde – Hilde Nora Ringstad – Håkon Danile Nystedt – Håkon Kornstad – Håvard Gimse – Håvard Stensvold – Ida Holten Worsøe – Ingar Bergby – Inga Margrete Aas – Ingeborg Stana – Ingebjørg Bratland – Ingeborg Gillebo – Ivar Hellesnes – Ivar Nergård – Jacquelyn Wagner – Jakop Janssønn – Jan Eggum – Jan Paul Brekke – Janne Langaas – Javid Afsari Ras – Jens Wendelboe – Jie Zhang – Jo Nesbø – Joachim “Noobwork” Hansen – Johan Dalene – Johannes Gustavsson – Johannes Weisser – Juanjo Mena – Justas Kulikauskas – Jørn Halbakken – Kari Bremnes – Kari Postma – Kari Rønnekleiv – Katrine Gislinge – Katrine Schiøtt – Kikk Scheen – Knut Erik Sundquist – Knut Kristian Mohn – Kristian Krogsøe – Kristin Solberg – Kristóf Baráti – Lars Joner – Lars Winnerbäck – Lars Øyno – Lasse Johansen Orchestra – Leif Aren Tangen – Linn Skåber – Ljupka Hadzigeorgieva – Madeleine Mattar – Mads Erik Odde – Magnhild Korsvik – Magnus Staveland – Maren Elle – Margrethe Fredheim – Mari Boine Band – Mari Midtli – Maria Haukaas Mittet – Maria Meerovitch – Marianne Beate Kielland – Marit Bodsberg – Marja Mortensson – Marius Neset – Marius Westling – Markku Ounaskari – Martin Baeza-Rubio – Martin Kuuskmann – Mats Eilertsen – Mette Bratzeg – Mette Torstensen – Michael Grolid – Michala Petri – Mona Grønstad – Morten Gran – New Ideas Chamber Orchestra – Nils Petter Molvær Band – Nils Økland – Odd Nordstoga – Ola Kvernberg – Olav Ljuksengår Mjelva – Ole Andreas Fevang – Ole Edvard Antonsen – Ole Gjøsdøl – Ole Kristian Bonden – Ole Kristian Ruud – Ole Jørgen Kristiansen – Ole Morten Vågan – Ole Nilsen – Ole Paus – Orkester Innlandet – Oslo Strings – Paul Lewis – Per Arne Glorvigen – Per Hillestad – Per Willy Aaserud – Prinsens Musikkorps – Pål Hausken – Raga Rockers – Reidun Askeland – Rolf Erik Nystrøm – Rolf Gupta – Sabina Zweiacker – Sakarias F. Tranvåg – Sara Aasen – Sergei}

From 1998 to 2000, Håvard Gimse and Geir Inge Lotsberg were the festival’s artistic directors, before the Vertavo Quartet took over from 2001 to 2015. Ole Edvard Antonsen has been engaged since 2016, and is still the festival’s artistic director today. Before the Elverum Festival engaged artistic directors, the program was put together by an artistic council.

You can read the whole story of how the festival came to be and the history of the first 30 years in a digitized version of the Festival’s anniversary book from 2003. It can be found here.

Image borrowed from Østlendingen