The Fifth Season

In the mining town Røros we have since 1999 been pleased by the fact that the year has gotten another new season. «The fifth season» is emerging in the middle of March, and to the sound of chamber music and the smell of tulips we float around while the March light floods the Røros plateau.

These kinds of experiences leave traces.
Like in Sami nomad culture, are most of these traces invisible. Nevertheless, we know that they still exist, and they can easily be recalled.

Welcome to our events and thank you for showing interest!

Long traditions

The Winter Festival in Bergstaden builds upon long traditions. Owners and government officials enjoyed the classical music ever since the Røros copper company’s first decade..

The Røros church received its first Baroque organ the year after the Wagner organ was installed in the dome in Trondheim. Church music also became the common cultural heritage, since the Røros Copper Company expected the people to go to mass every Sunday.

KonstKnekt. Foto: Maren Todal/Form til fjells
Foto: Maren Todal/Form til fjells

The church in Røros

Røros church is described by some people as an instrument in itself.
The shape of the church hall and the headroom provides full justice and a mild timbre to acoustic music. The acoustics also satisfied the demands from Berliner Philharmoniker and Sir Simon Rattle who performed their annual Europe concert here in 2016.

After the concert Sir Simon said:
«This church is God’s gift to music».
On the basis of this experience, the Winter Festival cooperates further with the Røros church to make sure that there’ll be new concert events in the Pride of the Mining Town.

The Winter Festival...

…is a non-profit organization that since 1999 has arranged an annual chamber music festival in the old mining town of Røros, a United Nations World Heritage site. We welcome you to take part in a unique experience, «The Fifth Season» – the Røros Winter Chamber Music Festival, where the sound of music, the smell of tulips, and the light of the lengthening days spread joy and inspiration amongst audience and artists alike.

The chamber music festival is well established on the national culture calendar as a result of great commitment from a skilled staff (both employees and volunteers) with support from local, regional and national authorities.

Culture-conscious sponsors and supporters and an ever increasing, enthusiastic audience have contributed to that the winter festival in Bergstaden, in cooperation with the civic-minded Kavlifondet, which also is responsible for the Orchestra Academy Konstknekt, where mentors from Berliner Philharmoniker share their knowledge, professional attitudes and skills with young, Norwegian musicians who are on their way into a demanding professional life.

To see possibilities and contexts in the constellations we are a part of is one of the keys to this development. Good teamwork can give back more than you put in, and often leads to good results.

With idealism and professionalism as important basic values of our business, the Winter Festival in Bergstaden continues to look forward and strives to spread live music and unique concerts to everyone who wants to listen.

Get in touch

Vinterfestspill i Bergstaden
Kjerkgata 3, 2nd floor
N-7374 Røros, Norway

+47 72 41 04 20
roros@vinterfestspill.no

The Board
Valgerd Svarstad Haugland – chairwoman
Erling Dahl Jr. – deputy chairman
Aud Selboe
Svein Solberg
Kristin Bendixvold (representing Røros municipality)

Our team

Bjørn Nessjø, director
nessjo@mac.com
+47 908 34 686

Samareh Granqvist, head of administration
samareh.granqvist@vinterfestspill.no
(+47) 936 67 540

Sigrid M. Jansen, marketing
sigrid.jansen@vinterfestspill.no
(+47) 986 01 001