Bergen Impro Storband

ledet av Ole Andre Farstad.

23. november

Bergen Impro Storband is open to any musician/artist with an interest in improvisation, and engages musicians from a huge range of backgrounds from all over Bergen.

The project was started in September 2011, by Ole Andre Farstad and John Hegre, and since then it has collaborated with many prominent composers, conductors, artists and festivals, creating an eclectic and colourful variety of concerts and events.

The group has previously performed live improvised music to film on a couple of occasions, lastly in 2017 with the English artist Mike Cooper.

For Audioglimt they have chosen the Disney's 1979 "space opera" The Black Hole. The project will be directed by Ole Andre Farstad, who will develop a unique visual score to guide the band through the film. The score will also involve audience participation, with everyone receiving a special package of instructions (and some "instruments") so they know when and what to play during the film!

The Black Hole was Disney's most expensive production at the time, in which they explored and developed new special effects, and even included the words "damn" and "hell" in the dialog, although these were removed in the broadcast version for the Disney Channel.

The Black Hole hasn't aged as well as Star Wars or Star Trek (which first appeared as a "motion picture" in the same year as The Black Hole) but this is partly what gives it such potential for BIS's improvised soundtrack!


Ole Andre Farstad is one of the founding members of Bergen Impro Storband, and, together with John Hegre, is responsible for the group's artistic and administrative leadership. In addition to his work with BIS, he is a freelance musician and composer, who plays guitar in several very different bands and constellations, from the metal band Abbath, to the world music of Meelodi.

He has also been responsible for developing the methods and projects of BIT20 Ensemble's participative program.


In January Bergen Impro Storband recorded works developed with them by Per Zanussi and Knut VĂ¥ge which will be released as an album in October.