Tora Augestad

About Tora Augestad

Born in Bergen in 1979, Tora Augestad is a Norwegian singer and actress whose versatility has inspired composers, theatre directors and conductors alike. She studied classical music and jazz singing in Oslo and Stockholm, and holds a master's degree in cabaret singing from the Norwegian Academy of Music. Her repertoire centres on the music of the 20th and 21st centuries.

Her vocal abilities defy easy classification, and she is equally convincing on the theatre stage. She has performed in opera houses, concert halls and theatres across Norway and Europe, alongside ensembles and orchestras including the Bergen Philharmonic, Ensemble Modern, the Oslo Sinfonietta, Ensemble Contrechamps and Klangforum Wien. In 2014 she gave the world premiere of Hellstenius's Loven with the Oslo Philharmonic.

A long-standing collaboration with director Christoph Marthaler has taken her to stages throughout Europe. She is the vocalist of the ensemble Music for a while and joint artistic director of the Hardanger Music Festival. Through commissioning new works and working with her ensembles, she continuously seeks new artistic challenges and the exchange of ideas. In 2015 she was nominated for the Nordic Council Music Prize.