Rolf Borch

About Rolf Borch

Rolf Borch was born and raised in Bergen, where his first clarinet teacher was Mogens Leikvoll. He later studied at the Norwegian Academy of Music with Hans Christian Bræin.

Alongside a broad classical repertoire, Borch has a strong commitment to contemporary music, which has resulted in well over 100 world premieres of works by Norwegian and international composers. The list of composers with whom he has worked includes Helmut Lachenmann, Brian Ferneyhough, Carola Bauckholt, Laurence Crane, Helmut Oehring and Karin Rehnqvist, as well as numerous Norwegian composers, among them Ørjan Matre, Jon Øivind Ness, Magne Hegdal, Mark Adderley and Sven Lyder Kahrs.

Borch has established himself as a soloist with Norwegian orchestras, wind bands and other ensembles, and has appeared in concerts and at festivals throughout Europe. He has made numerous CD recordings, and both his critically acclaimed solo debut, Step Inside, and Inside Out, a double portrait with composer Ørjan Matre, were nominated for the Spellemann Award. In 2008, he was awarded the prestigious Young Lindeman Prize. In 2015, he completed his fellowship at the Norwegian Academy of Music.

Borch is a permanent member of the Cikada Ensemble, and since 2014 has held the position of Associate Professor of Clarinet at the Music Conservatory in Tromsø.