LUND, Inger Bang

  Inger Sophie Louise Bang Lund was a norwegian composer, pianist and pedagogue. She was born in Bergen 10th September 1876, daughter of advocate Carl Joachim Waldemar Bang and Kristofine Susanne Bang, residing in Engen in the heart of Bergen. Her father early discovered her musical talent and encouraged her. Three years old she could reproduce what she had heard at the Music Pavilion in Bergen on her grand piano when she returned home. Her father died in 1884, when Inger was only 8 years old. She was close to her father and his loss meant a lot to her expressed in her melancholic works such as “Boenn”, “Vemod”, “Farvel”, “Forbi” og “Min Jesus er Naer”. After her father died Inger and her mother moved to Marken 18 close to the Music Pavilion in Bergen, where her first piano pieces were composed. In 1890, when she was only 14 years old her first piano compositions were published by C. Rabe Musikforlag in Bergen, printed in Leipzig.

Inger studied music with the leading piano pedagogues in Bergen, including Betty Wallem, August Friis and Elisabeth Constance Hals Andersen and later with Hildur Andersen in Kristiania. At a point in time Inger Bang Lund herself gave lessons at the Music Conservatory in Bergen. She studied further with the famous Norwegian composer Johan Halvorsen in Kristiania (1864-1935). He recommended her to continue her studies with prominent Italian composer Alfredo Casella (1883-1947) in Rome, as Johan Halvorsen had nothing more to teach her, as he said.

Inger Bang Lund has composed more that 100 compositions for piano, violin and voice, among these “Trold”, “Nocturne”, “Humoreske”, “Albumblad”, “Boenn”, “Caprice”, “Melodi”, “Lurleik”, “Huldrelok”, “Mor Hoest”, “Mot Vaar”, “Springdans” og “Norsk”.

After her stay in Italy she returned to Norway. Inger Bang Lund died in Bergen 26. December, 1968, 92 years old, after having devoted her whole life to music.