HIDDEN GEMS of the NORWEGIAN SONG REPERTOIRE
The Recital Series at Richmond Beach Congregational Church proudly presents the first recital in 2026 - a set of hidden gems of the Norwegian song repertoire spanning two centuries, curated and performed by local experts.
Laura Loge (soprano) and Steven Luksan (pianist/composer) present a concert of forgotten masterpieces by Norwegian composers.
Including representative works by master composers like Edvard Grieg, Christian Sinding, and Agathe Backer-Grøndahl, the program will also feature pieces by lesser-known Norwegian composers (including Øistein Sommerfeldt and Anne-Marie Ørbeck) and Norwegian-American immigrant composers (such as Alf Hurum and Signe Lund).
Laura and Steven will offer some commentary and context about the music to help guide the audience through this beautiful and rich cultural heritage.
Hidden Gems: Masterpieces by Norwegian Composers
Presented by Laura Loge, soprano, and Steven Luksan, piano
Sunday, February 1, 2026 - 3pm
Richmond Beach Congregational Church, United Church of Christ
1512 NW 195th St, Shoreline, WA 98177
Free - with donations gratefully accepted ($20 suggested)
About the recital series
Hosted by Richmond Beach Congregational Church, this series of hour-long recitals is a showcase of exceptional local talent, spanning genres from classical to contemporary, from bluegrass to tango, from piano quintet to barbershop. Whether you're a seasoned enthusiast or a newcomer eager to explore the talents of your community, let the Recital Series at RBCC be your destination for memorable musical encounters.
About the performers
Laura Loge has been hailed for her “luminous stage presence” and “characterful and versatile voice.” She regularly presents recitals of Nordic art song which has performed across the United States, in Norway, including in Edvard Grieg’s villa. She has released two CDs, Breaking the Language Barrier, and Songs & Piano Music of Edvard Grieg, Op. 33 & 66. Her third album, Der skreg en fugl, featuring world premier recordings of songs by Norwegian women, will be released on Chandos in 2025.
Laura is the Artistic Director of the Nordic Chamber Music Series in Seattle, Music Series Manager at Saint Mark’s Episcopal Cathedral, and the President and Founder of the Northwest Edvard Grieg Society.
Steven Luksan is a composer, pianist, and educator making music in Seattle, WA, USA. He is a pianist at Seattle Opera and is the accompanist for the Seattle Mannskor (The Norwegian Male Chorus of Seattle). He is the Artistic Advisor for the Northwest Edvard Grieg Society and is the founder and artistic director of the Saltwater Music Series (Des Moines, WA), a concert series dedicated to performances of local and off-the-beaten-path chamber music.
Steven is an advocate for the performance of new and uncommon compositions and for the performance of chamber music in intimate settings. As a composer, his output includes an opera and music for ensembles of all sizes, but he feels most at home writing for voice and piano. As a researcher, Steven's interests focus on late-19th and 20th century Nordic and American music, especially music composed by Norwegian-American immigrant composers. He composed and premiered his first opera in 2024, and recently reconstructed the opera Leif Erikson (a Norwegian-language opera composed in Seattle in 1910) from the original manuscripts.
Together, Laura and Steven recently toured the US and Norway, performing 42 shows of their recital commemorating the 200th anniversary of the beginning of Norwegian mass immigration to North America.
Read more...
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