One wonders if there is some artistic virus that thrives in the people of Bergen, Norway, for three Scandinavian giants of the arts were born there. The first was Ludvig Holberg (1684-1754) who would become one of Scandinavia’s great literary figures. Some years later came a mighty duo - Ole Bull (1810-1880), a violin virtuoso who toured in the United States to great success and then...Edvard Grieg.

Musical fate would link the "baroque" Holberg to the "romantic" Grieg. Holberg had left his native Bergen as a young man to roam Europe in the early 18th century to ultimately reside in Copenhagen. He adopted Danish as his language and helped establish Danish literature, especially through his comedies which gained him the reputation as the "Moliere of the North."

To honor Holberg in 1884, the 200th anniversary of his birth, the Bergen organizing committee turned to their newest "favorite son" to compose a musical tribute. (Grieg was already internationally known for his piano concerto and music for Ibsen’s Peer Gynt.) They wanted him to write a cantata to be sung in December at the time of the unveiling of a statue of Holberg in the Main Square of Bergen. Grieg accepted half-heartedly and, in October, wrote to friends that not only was he bored in composing the choral work, but afraid of the event itself. Having had poor health most of his life, Grieg feared having to conduct outdoors in cold December and predicted, though somewhat humorously, what might happen:

Well, he didn’t die that way, though the uninspired cantata was forever laid to rest. But Grieg had a surprise. Four months later in March, 1885, he conducted the premiere in Bergen of a suite of pieces entitled Aus Holbergs Zeit ("From Holberg’s Time.") Grieg had written the suite for piano the previous summer as his personal tribute to Holberg (before being asked to write the cantata.) With the orchestration, he produced one of his greatest works, full of strength and gentility, playfulness and meditation.

Grieg chose the musical language of the 18th Century, the era of Holberg, a type of French suite consisting of a Prelude, Sarabande, Gavotte/Musette, Air, and Rigaudon. The exhilarating pulsing sounds of the Prelude quickly set an upbeat mood. The following Sarabande provides a long lyrical line that masks the innate three-quarter time of this dance form. With the Gavotte, the formality of court ballrooms emerges, but the internal Musette brings a folk-song quality in contrast. The Air that follows, one of Grieg’s most beautiful creations, is marked "Andante Religioso." Here, as in the Sarabande, Grieg puts more emphasis on the deeper strings. In the concluding Rigaudon, the Norwegian peasant fiddler emerges, a tribute to the folk violinists of Grieg’s beloved country. It is as if Grieg musically honored his fellow Bergenite, Ole Bull, a man who championed the young Grieg.

The International Sejong Soloists, a conductor-less string ensemble, formed in 1995 in New York City and remains based there. Its Music Director is Jyo Kang, a renowned professor of violin at the Juilliard School. The group's members hail from seven different nations (Australia, China, Germany, Japan, Korea, Taiwan and the U.S.) and each has a distinguished reputation as a soloist and chamber musician, as confirmed by prize-winning performances at many prestigious international competitions.

Together, the musicians met with immediate success, and they gave over 70 concerts throughout the United States and the Far East in the ensemble's first three years. They have performed at Lincoln Center's Alice Tully Hall and at the Aspen Music Festival, where they were appointed Ensemble-in-Residence. They also have been featured regularly on National Public Radio’s "Performance Today," and they have recorded on the Samsung Classics Label.

During the 1998-99 season, the group appeared in Aspen, in the Rising Star series at Ravinia, at the Metropolitan Museum of Arts in New York, the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., and in re-engagements at Merkin Concert Hall and the 92^nd Street Y in New York. They also toured Europe and Asia.

The International Sejong Soloists are sponsored by the Samsung Foundation of Culture, which also loans several instruments to the players: a Guarnerius del Gesu violin (Cremona, 1725); an Antonio Stradivarius violin (also Cremona, 1708); a Gasparo da Salo viola, (Brescia, circa 1590), and a Matteo Goffriller cello (Venice, circa 1715.)

Praised as "one of the finest flutists of our time," distinguished concert and recording artist Eugenia Zukerman is renowed worldwide for her elegant sound, artistic phrasing, brilliant agility and graceful stage presence. A versatile artist, Ms Zukerman performs with orchestras, in solo and duo recitals, and in chamber music ensembles on a regular basis. For over 25 years, she has performed in North America, Europe, Asia, and the Middle East, appearing with many of the world’s best-known orchestras and symphonies. Her solo recital appearances also are numerous, and she has collaborated with such artists as Yo-Yo Ma, Emanuel Ax, harpsichordist Anthony Newman, the Shanghai Quartet, and the actress Claire Bloom.

Ms Zukerman is respected for innovative programming as well as for her distinguished performances. She has been a well-known guest on the festival circuit, appearing in the Aspen, Angel-Fire, Mostly Mozart and OK Mozart festivals. She also has been heard at Tanglewood, Ravinia, and Spoleto, among others.

During the 1999-2000 season, Ms Zukerman can be heard in the New York area at the New York Public Library, at the Tisch Center for the Arts at the 92^nd Street Y, at Merkin Hall, and in concerts with keyboardist Anthony Newman and Andy Simionescu. This fall she will tour the country with the International Sejong Soloists and make solo appearances in Corpus Christi, Augusta, Chattanooga, and Maryland. She will share the stage with Mr Newman in several perforrmances, and also with harpist Yolanda Kondonassis, the Shanghai Quartet and the Linear Trio.

Ms Zukerman currently records for the Delos label; previous recordings have been made for CBS Masterworoks, Pro Arte, Vox Cum Laude and Newport Classics.

Music is but one part of Ms Zukerman’s active life: she also enjoys successful careers as an author and television commentator. She has been the arts correspondent for "CBS Sunday Morning" since 1980 and has prepared over 300 artist profiles in her 19 years on the program. She also has made guest appearances on numerous television programs.

As a writer, Ms Zukerman has been published in many periodicals, including The New York Times, The Washington Post, Esquire and Vogue. She has had three screenplays purchased and has published two novels, in addition to co-authoring a non-fiction work.

A native of Cambridge, Massachusetts, Eugenia Zukerman entered Barnard College as an English major but soon transferred to The Juilliard School. She won the Young Concert Artists award and made her formal New York debut in 1971.