Soloist
Bente Illevold
Norwegian euphonium soloist and new-music champion — 25+ premieres, three award-nominated albums, and the first female and first European S.E. Shires artist.
| Nationality | Norwegian |
|---|---|
| Plays | S.E. Shires custom Shires euphonium · S.E. Shires Euphonium Artist (first female and first European for the brand) |
Bente Illevold (born 1983) is a Norwegian euphonium soloist from Rendalen, in Østerdalen, who has built an international reputation as one of the instrument’s most adventurous contemporary voices. A graduate of the Norwegian Academy of Music, she has made new repertoire her life’s work — commissioning and premiering more than twenty-five works and collaborating widely with composers and ensembles to expand what the euphonium can do on the concert stage.
Her discography reflects that ambition: Klangen fra de dype skoger (2020), which earned an OPUS KLASSIK nomination for Instrumentalist of the Year; Alone (2021), nominated Album of the Year by 4BarsRest; and Baut (2024), which took third prize in 4BarsRest’s Solo/Ensemble Album of the Year, the same year she was a nominee for Player of the Year. She performs in the Northern Lights Duo (with tubist David Earll) and the Illevold/Kregnes Hansen Duo, and has created interdisciplinary productions such as She Sounds Like a Girl and Peace Talks. Beyond performing, she founded and chairs the Norwegian Euphonium and Tuba Association, works as a guest teacher and band conductor, and has been recognized with several Norwegian artist grants and awards.
Illevold is an international S.E. Shires Company Euphonium Artist — the first female and the first European player to represent the brand — performing on a custom Shires euphonium. She maintains a lively and widely followed presence on social media.