Valdres Sommersymfoni

Every summer for the past 22 years, hundreds of budding classical musicians and international stars descend on Fagernes, the regional centre of Valdres, for the annual festival Valdres Sommersymfoni. The festival is a unique combination of a classical music festival and summer courses for roughly 300 students ranging from beginners as young as six years old, all the way through to teenagers. And, as adults, many of the participants come back as instructors. “Our motto is that only the best is good enough for the children,” says festival director Alf Richard Kraggerud, and explains that even the international stars booked to perform at the festival contribute as teachers.