LAWO Classics: Lovingly creating music in Norway for a global audience

By Molly McPharlin | Photos: LAWO Studios

Founded in 2008 by saxophonist Vegard Landaas and sound engineer Thomas Wolden, LAWO Classics had a clear goal from the beginning: to become a serious classical label based in Norway, giving Norwegian musicians a home and guaranteed involvement in the music production process.

“We have produced over 500 albums and numerous radio and television productions since our creation,” says Landaas. “In 2025 alone we had 57 unique releases, most of them full albums.” LAWO is built on three measures of success; Norwegian musicians should be measured against their international colleagues in works by composers such as Mozart and Beethoven; the music label should document music written in Norway today; and its catalogue should span a range of orchestral, vocal, and chamber music. “Together with our artists, we are building a strong catalogue that competes internationally. The most important thing is the listening experience we give to the audience,” Landaas stresses.

Baritone Halvor Festervoll Melien, composer Øyvind Meland, and producer Vegard Landaas.

Though LAWO began as a Norwegian project, with Norwegian composers and performers still at its core, the label has grown internationally, reaching a global audience through international reviews and distribution. “Our releases are sold worldwide through all major streaming services,” says Landaas. “But even though our activities have become more global, we feel a strong commitment and connection to Norwegian musicians. This is part of our identity and essential to who we are as a label.”

A new project for Landaas and LAWO is managing Oslo’s Rainbow Studio, one of the world’s most renowned recording studios. Founded in 1984 by the famous recording engineer and jazz guitarist Jan Erik Kongshaug and celebrated for its acoustics and technical excellence, the studio holds a prominent position in international recording history and attracts both Norwegian and international artists. “Combining Rainbow Studio and LAWO gives us tremendous advantages,” says Landaas. “We can elevate Norwegian and international productions to an even higher level. This is an essential part of LAWO’s future, both artistically and strategically.”

Composer Mirsaeed Hosseiny Panah, saxophonist Eli Marie Helgeland Davidsen, Mats Kirkebø, Astrid Jenssen Solstad, and Eivind Holmboe Leifsen at Rainbow Studio.

Many artists describe LAWO as a close-knit company, a music label that invests time, care and resources into their projects. “A number of our musicians have long-standing, collaborative relationships with us, producing many albums over the years,” says Landaas. “Such relationships create a family-like atmosphere. Currently, I’m preparing music scheduled for release in 2026, working closely with different artists on 45 upcoming releases. Classical music is fundamentally about humanity. I’m fortunate to collaborate with so many outstanding people and help them create something deeply personal.”

Tine Thing Helseth’s October 2025 album, Echoes.

Tine Thing Helseth

Tine Thing Helseth began playing the trumpet as a child, inspired by both the brass music tradition in her native Norway and her parents’ musical hobbies.

“Growing up, everyone played an instrument, so it felt natural,” Helseth says. The country has a history of community bands, often supported by families and given space to practise, often in local schools. “The popularity of ‘korps’ can go up and down for kids, but when I started it was popular,” she says. These early experiences have led Helseth to a vibrant career, both within her native country and internationally.

For the past 20 years, Helseth has played with artists all over the world, recording and performing as a soloist and with orchestras. “The beauty of music is that we don’t necessarily have to speak the same language to communicate. We can play together and understand one another,” she says. This shared love of music led to the creation of TenThing, an all-female brass ensemble formed in 2007 by Helseth. “We are intentionally all-female and tour about one or two times a year,” she says. The group is committed to outreach and ensuring their music is accessible to a wide audience. “I enjoy being a model of inspiration, especially for kids.”

Another passion of Helseth’s is her role as artistic director of Risør Chamber Music Festival, held annually in the coastal town of Risør in southern Norway. “We love putting together the programme each year and contemplating who would have a good time playing together,” she says. “Classical chamber music is at the heart, but other types of music, such as jazz, are included as well. During the festival, the whole town is filled with music.”

Collaboration is at the heart of much of what Helseth enjoys about her job as a musician. She loves sharing the experience of making music with many different people. It’s one reason she also works as a trumpet professor at the Norwegian Academy of Music in Oslo. For Helseth it is “one of the greatest things I do.”

It is also why working with her label, LAWO, feels right to her. “I was with SIMAX and then EMI, which is a major label. Moving to LAWO felt very natural to me,” says Helseth. “It’s good to be closer to home. There is something intimate and close-knit about it. It’s collaborative, a small family.”

Tine Thing Helseth in concert. Photo: Catalina Filip

The album cover of the Engegård Quartet’s Mozart String Quartets from LAWO Classics.

Engegård Quartet

Norway’s Engegård Quartet is a perfect example of a musical ensemble successfully combining its local roots with a global outlook and ambition.

Conceived in Nusfjord, a tiny fishing village in the Lofoten Islands, Engegård Quartet is an international ensemble with members from both Norway and the UK. At the heart of Engegård Quartet is its members’ deep commitment and love for the core classical repertoire.

“We’re loyal to our Northern Norwegian roots and are constantly expanding the traditional music we play from the region, but we also hugely enjoy exploring other partnerships and programmes, irrespective of geography and genre,” says Arvid Engegård, a founding member of Engegård Quartet. “But right now, we’re getting to grips with all of Beethoven’s quartets, which we see as the very backbone of the string quartet repertoire.”

Recording has played an integral part in the musical career of the group. “We’ve been honoured to collaborate with some wonderful producers who have helped Engegård Quartet reach even greater heights than we would alone,” says Engegård. The quartet is about to release the Complete String Quartets by Mozart on LAWO Classics. “This has been a long journey, which started when we began playing together 20 years ago,” he says. “The recording process started with the Prussian Quartets in 2015. Mozart’s musical language speaks very directly to all of us, so this is a collection we’re really excited about and proud of.” The ensemble has also recently recorded four pieces they commissioned and premiered. ICE Quartet, by Julian Anderson; Fanfare and Carillon, by Philip Dutton; and Dusk Shimmers, by Therese Birkelund Ulvo. “We have close connections to each of these composers, and each piece has been composed with us, and where we live, in mind.”

Being a part of LAWO has been an important aspect of Engegård Quartet’s artistic experience. “We’ve had the good fortune to record with several prestigious labels. LAWO really creates a positive working environment for their artists, helping us to develop and reach out to our audience,” says Engegård.

Engegård Quartet’s members celebrate 20 years together this season and have recently welcomed Amanda Håøy Horn as their new second violinist. “It’s a very positive thing for us to have two women and two men in the group,” says Engegård. “Our combined talents help us to be the best versions of ourselves.”

The Engegård Quartet on the coast in Norway. Photo: Engegård Quartet

Composer Gisle Kverndokk and producer Vegard Landaas of LAWO Classics. Photo: LAWO Classics

Gisle Kverndokk

Gisle Kverndokk discovered opera as a child. Coming from a musical family, Kverndokk studied flute and piano at the local kulturskole, or cultural school, in Norway, and played in wind bands and orchestras. When opera came along, he was hooked.

“How can you tell a story with music? I was fascinated. I learnt to read music very fast and started to compose,” Kverndokk remembers. “There was a radio programme on NRK (the Norwegian version of the BBC), The Composer’s Workshop, for children who wanted to learn to compose. My first composition was performed there by musicians from the radio orchestra. I was twelve.”

Over the years, Kverndokk has enjoyed collaborating with musicians both in Norway and around the world. “I’ve worked with Tine Thing Helseth on my composition Three Pictures, which was wonderful. She’s a great musician,” he says. “I’ve worked with all the major orchestras in Norway. I’ve had great projects with Stavanger Symphony Orchestra and in Trondheim. Recently, I’ve also had two operas performed with the outstanding Arctic Philharmonic.”

Kverndokk has a special relationship with singers. “I have so many singer friends, and I love to write for them,” he says. “In the last year, I have written four major vocal works for great singers here and abroad. And working with The National Opera of Oslo has been a highlight of my career. I’m proud of our opera house here in Oslo. There is nothing like it. I especially enjoy working with the children’s chorus. They are amazing!”

Currently, Kverndokk has several projects about to be completed with LAWO. “This spring, we’ll record my songs for baritone, performed by the fabulous Norwegian singer Håvard Stensvold. The main work is a song cycle, Songs about Autumn and Winter, a kind of Nordic Winterreise,” he says. “A new collection where I’ve used text by the Norwegian actress and author Liv Ullmann, called Tide, will also be premiered soon, and we hope to record that. And I’m writing a new opera. Babette’s Feast, for Opera Nordfjord, a special opera house on the northwest coast of Norway.”

Kverndokk appreciates the special relationship LAWO creates with its artists. “LAWO is unique,” he says. “It’s the only recording company in Norway that continuously releases Norwegian classical music. The hard work and passion are incredible, and I can’t think of producing without them. They mean so much to me and my colleagues.”