Norwegian Seasons

Monday 19 October 2026 Doors 6.30pm | Concert starts 7.00pm David Lloyd George Room, National Liberal Club, 1 Whitehall Place, London SW1A 2HE

Tickets: £25 standard / £10 concessions

Thormod Rønning Kvam's pianism has garnered critical acclaim for his illuminating recital programmes and his affinity for Norwegian repertoire. He returns to the National Liberal Club with a programme centred on Tchaikovsky's twelve poetic meditations on The Seasons, alongside Grieg's masterpiece for the piano, the Ballade in G minor, and the evocative Birdcall Variations by Sæverud.

It is exceptional to witness a series of performances of such consistent excellence as this artist possesses (...) One hopes to hear this most gifted artist in London again soon." — The Grieg Journal, vol. 17 (2024)

PROGRAMME

Harald Sæverud (1897–1992) Birdcall Variations, op. 36

Pyotr Tchaikovsky (1840–1893) The Seasons, op. 37

1. January – At the Fireside
2. February – Carnival
3. March – Song of the Lark
4. April – Snowdrop
5. May – White Nights
6. June – Barcarolle
7. July – The Reaper's Song
8. August – The Harvest
9. September – The Hunt
10. October – Autumn Song
11. November – Troika
12. December – Christmas

Edvard Grieg (1843–1907) Ballade in G minor, op. 24

BIOGRAPHY

Thormod Rønning Kvam belongs to a new generation of Nordic performers who pair an international concert career with a strong commitment to renewing classical concert life. He currently holds the Norwegian Government Grant for Young Artists, and in 2023 he was appointed an Associate of the Royal Academy of Music in London (ARAM) for "his significant contribution to the music profession." The following year he received the Nils Larsen International Debut Prize and the Fegersten Endowment.

In June 2026 he made his solo debut at the Bergen International Festival with two sold-out concerts, performing music by Sæverud, Tchaikovsky and Grieg — the same programme he performs at the National Liberal Club this evening. Other highlights of recent years include appearances at Wigmore Hall in London, Harpa in Reykjavík, the Norwegian National Opera and the Stockholm Concert Hall, as well as solo tours with the Royal Norwegian Navy Band and the Norwegian Wind Ensemble.

Kvam took his bachelor's degree at the Barratt Due Institute of Music in Oslo, where he studied under Prof. Jiří Hlinka. He then moved to London for his master's and diploma studies with Professor Christopher Elton and Diana Ketler at the Royal Academy of Music, graduating in 2019 with a DipRAM distinction.

Kvam is the founder and Artistic Director of Aulaseriene, a Norwegian chamber music series presenting 40–50 concerts annually in Bergen's historic Håkon's Hall, the University Aulas in Oslo and Bergen, and at the Edvard Munch destination Ramme in Hvitsten.

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Pre-Concert Dining

Available in the National Liberal Club's main Dining Room. A two-course express menu, priced at £29, will be available from 5.00 pm to 6.30 pm before the concert. Highly recommended! Bookings must be made directly with the Dining Room in advance of the concert day. Please email dining@nlc.org.uk or telephone 020 7968 0924 and quote "Kettner Concert". Guests are asked to adhere to the Club's dress code should they wish to dine.