Maja Bugge is a Norwegian cellist, composer and cello teacher based in Lancaster, UK. She creates and performs music inspired by the simultaneously beautiful and brutal landscapes of the north of Norway, where she was born and brought up.
Since 1998 she has created a large body of work both as a solo artist and in collaboration with others for a number of organisations and companies that include Lancaster Institute of Contemporary Art (LICA), Oslo Moderne Teater, the National Theatre Oslo, Beaivvas Theater, NING, Katma Productions and Opera Omnia.
She has a particular interest in devising work with and for children and young people, and also teaches the cello to pupils of all ages and abilities.
She has won several prizes and scholarships, including The Cultural Rucksack Norway’s best performance in 2010 for Usynlig, and was young artist in residence at The Festival of The North of Norway in 2006.
Maja’s unique sound – as evidenced on her CD Shelter (Euredice, 2012) – explores stillness and repetition, harmony and dissonance. Her music balances melody and rhythm with external ambience, acoustics and atmosphere.
“Beautiful, meditative music” – (Bergens Tidende)
“Innovative, she crosses artistic borders with great creativity.” – (Erlend Loe, Author)