Ola Gjeilo

Ola Gjeilo (b. 1978) is a Norwegian-American composer and pianist who has become one of the most frequently performed composers in the contemporary choral world. His distinctive musical style, often described as cinematic, lush, and evocative, successfully merges classical composition with a broad range of influences, including jazz, pop, and film music.

Early Life and Musical Development

Born on May 5, 1978, in Skui, Norway, Ola Gjeilo began his musical journey at a very young age in a musically eclectic home where he listened to everything from classical pieces by Brahms to jazz, pop, and folk music. This broad background would later inform his unique style of composition, which blends the warmth of the choral tradition with the improvisational freedom of jazz.

Gjeilo's innate musical ability was apparent early on: he started playing the piano and composing when he was just five years old, often relying on his ear rather than reading music, a skill he finally acquired at the age of seven.1 An interesting fact about his childhood is that he often composed before he could read music, with his father—an accomplished amateur saxophonist—writing down his improvisations.2

During his high school years, he developed his classical composition skills through lessons with Wolfgang Plagge, which fostered a profound love for writing for choir.2 He also grew up with a fondness for the synthesizer, a Yamaha SY77, which allowed him to investigate harmonies and sounds that he later developed in his compositions.3 This early exploration of electronic music and soundscapes, alongside his passion for the improvisational art of film composers like Thomas Newman and jazz legends like Keith Jarrett, deeply impacted his approach.

His formal education included studies at the Norwegian Academy of Music, the Royal College of Music in London, and The Juilliard School in New York, where he earned both a Bachelor's and a Master's degree in composition.1 Since 2006, he has permanently resided in the United States, his adopted country, which he notes has profoundly influenced the "cinematic" and American-flavored quality of his music.4 A signature part of his artistic collaboration is performing his own works as an accomplished pianist, often improvising over his published choral pieces.4

Most Known Works

Ola Gjeilo primarily writes choral music, but his output also includes works for piano and wind symphony. Some of his most celebrated and widely performed works include:

Footnotes and References

Resources