Larvik Barokk’s most remarkable export thus far is the ensemble Barokksolistene and its signature Alehouse Sessions. Begun in Herregården some fifteen years ago, the Sessions have now travelled through Europe and the British Isles with a second tour to America this year taking the Alehouse Boys from New York to San Francisco. A first tour to China takes place in 2021!

The idea was born of the desire to make a new, flexible, international ensemble of soloists playing on period instruments headed by the Norwegian violinist, Bjarte Eike. Over the past decade, the group has been in residence in Larvik for six years and made guest appearances in as many. Major projects have included stage productions at the Opera in Oslo and ballet productions with music specially composed by Eike.

During the same time, Larvik has welcomed Norway’s finest vocal ensembles including Edvard Grieg Kor from Bergen and Trio Mediæval from Oslo. New York Polyphony have also been in residence.

In 2020 Det Norske Damekor joins forces with Ensemble Paulus Barokk from Stavanger – resident Larvik ensemble since 2018 – in a Christmas programme of the Vivaldi Gloria RV589 and Bach’s cantata 51 Jauchzet Gott in allen Landen. Folk and jazz baroque-fusion concerts have also been on the menu last year in a ‘folkbarokk’ project with Norwegian folk fiddler Ragnhild Furebotton and Barokksolistene.

Two years earlier Larvik Barokk hosted Gjermund Larsen’s jazz ensemble in an evening with Bach transformed through the eyes of this exception violinist, while, crossing the boundaries between baroque and contemporary, rising star American violinist Elicia Silverstein returned for a second time to Larvik in 2019 for an Italian programme bringing together the Four Seasons with solo violin music of Salvatore Sciarrino.