Forget the January blues; February is packed with exciting events. For those who enjoy classical music, don’t miss the ‘Sounds from the Cathedral’ concert, or the string quartet playing at Wigmore Hall.

Several up-and-coming Norwegian musicians will hit the UK with gigs in February. Among them are Ida Maria, Silje Nes, ‘Real Once’ and ‘Whitest Boy Alive’. However, if you prefer folk music, you should check out Nils Økland’s UK tour. Simultaneously, Ibsen’s classic ‘Peer Gynt’ is on with a twist at a theatre in London, whilst a modern version of ‘Hedda Gabler’ is on at the Barbican.

‘Peter & the Wolf’, co-produced by Norwegian Storm Studio, has been nominated for an Oscar and Lars Saabye Christensen’s novel ‘The Model’ has been long-listed for the Independent Foreign Fiction Prize. For the fashionable of you, don’t miss rubecksen yamanaka presenting their new collection during London Fashion Week, and Norwegian photographer Sølve Sundsbø’s exhibition in London. Whatever you do, enjoy it!

'Sounds from the Cathedral' is a joint project between Stavanger Symphony Orchestra and Stavanger2008, the European Capital of Culture organisation for Stavanger. The joint choir and orchestra will perform a concert in London on 5 February. 'Sounds from the Cathedral', which was launched with a concert in Stavanger Cathedral on 14 January, consists of freelance musicians from different countries.  [+] Read more

The Ibsen Stage Company's production of ‘Peer Gynt’ by Henrik Ibsen, adapted, translated and directed by Norwegian Terje Tveit, is on at the Pleasance Theatre Studio in London in January and February. Set in the early 1930’s, a time of uncertainty and change, Ibsen Stage Company re-tells the story of 'Peer Gynt' in a world of gangsters, jazz clubs, forgery, murder, seduction and beautiful women. [+] Read more

Following the success of his last two novels in English ‘The Half Brother’ and ‘Herman’, one of Norway’s most celebrated authors, Lars Saabye Christensen, published his novel ‘The Model’ in the UK in 2007. The novel has now been long-listed for the Independent Foreign Fiction Prize, which is an award given by the newspaper to honour fiction translated in the UK. [+] Read more

The two Norwegian musicians Henning Kraggerud and Lars Anders Tomter are part of a quartet extracted from the Razumovsky Ensemble, who will play at the Wigmore Hall on 5 February. The Razumovsky Ensemble aims to provide exceptional music by choosing different world-class solo musicians who share a passion for chamber music. [+] Read more

‘Peter & the Wolf’, an animation film co-produced by Norwegian Storm Studio, has been nominated for an Oscar for Best Animated Short Film. The 2006 version of the classic 1936 tale by Russian Sergei Prokofiev, directed by Suzie Templeton, has been nominated and will compete with four other short films for the Oscar statue. [+] Read more

Design duo rubecksen yamanaka, which consists of Norwegian womenswear designer Hilde Rubecksen and Japanese knitwear designer Tomoko Yamanaka, are presenting their new collection for autumn/winter 2008 during London Fashion Week. The collection, ‘knitted wilderness two’, is inspired by Victorian nature and landscape photography. [+] Read more

London-based Norwegian photographer Sølve Sundsbø will open his solo exhibition ‘Saturated’ in conjunction with launch of new art gallery, Spring Projects. The exhibition will run from 8 February to 20 March 2008. ‘Saturated’ will be on show at the Spring Studios, a photography studio complex, as the first in a cross-cultural programme at Spring Projects. [+] Read more

Norwegian musician Nils Økland is touring the UK in February with Scottish harpist Catriona McKay. The five concert tour is part of soundUK’s Sound Transmitter series, focusing on ancient and contemporary interpretations of traditional folk music. Nils is one of Norway's leading Hardanger fiddle players, and has gained an international reputation over the last few years. [+] Read more

Three Norwegian designers will present their design ‘Bugge’ at Kids.Modern, an innovative show that brings together new imaginative furniture, fashion and collectables for children. Presented by the curators of London’s Midcentury.Modern show, Kids.Modern is about fun and thought-provoking design, which adults love and kids remember for life. [+] Read more

Norwegian rock sensation Ida Maria is back in the UK in February for five concerts, following the release of her debut single ‘Oh My God’ in October 2007. She hit the headlines first in 2006 in Norway when she won national radio station NRK P3’s talent competition ‘Urørt’ (Untouched). 
[+] Read more

Following the release of her debut album, Silje Nes, an up-and-coming Norwegian musician, is playing three concerts in the UK in January and February. Silje released her debut album ‘Ames Room’ in the UK in December. The album, which is out on record label Fat Cat, was recorded at home by the Norwegian multi-instrumentalist/ singer/ songwriter. [+] Read more

The five-piece band from Bergen, Norway, will play at the Electroacoustic Club in London on 13 February to promote the release of their debut UK single 'Outlaw', which will be released through Telle Records on 25 February. Real Ones, five childhood friends from the same neighbourhood, have played music together since they were kids. [+] Read more

The Whitest Boy Alive will be playing a concert at Electric Ballroom in London in February. The band is fronted by Norwegian Erlend Øye, singer of the popular acoustic duo Kings of Convenience. The Whitest Boy Alive, based in Berlin, originally started in 2003 as an electronic dance music project when lead singer Erlend hooked up with Marcin Oz. [+] Read more

One of Germany’s leading directors, Thomas Ostermeier, brings his production of Henrik Ibsen's ‘Hedda Gabler’, set in a contemporary German city, to the Barbican Theatre in London. This audacious production will run from 27 February until 1 March. When first written, 'Hedda Gabler' was universally condemned because it irreverently

exposed 19th century bourgeois morality. [+] Read more

H.M. King Harald of Norway has conferred the Royal Norwegian Order of Merit on two British nationals for their work to promote Norwegian language and culture in the United Kingdom. The Royal Order of Merit, founded by H.M. King Olav V in 1985, is awarded to foreign nationals who have performed exceptional service in the promotion of Norway and Norwegian interests abroad. [+] Read more