Norwegian composer Ståle Kleiberg explores migration, identity and remembrance on his latest orchestral release, Across the Ocean towards a Higher Firmament.
Norwegian composer Ståle Kleiberg returns with a deeply expressive new orchestral album, Across the Ocean towards a Higher Firmament. Released through LAWO Classics, the album features the Trondheim Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Peter Szilvay.
At the centre of the release is Kleiberg’s Symphony No. 3, a work inspired by one of the most significant movements in Norwegian history: the large-scale emigration of Norwegians to North America during the 19th and 20th centuries.
A Journey Across the Ocean
Rather than simply looking at migration as a historical event, Kleiberg uses music to explore the human experience behind it. The symphony follows an emotional journey that moves from yearning and uncertainty through drama before reaching a hymn-like conclusion.
The result is a work that considers what it means to leave home and search for a new beginning. At the same time, it connects Norwegian history with themes that remain relevant today, including identity, belonging and displacement.
The symphony was commissioned by the Trondheim Symphony Orchestra and premiered under Peter Szilvay in April 2025. Kleiberg wrote it in connection with Norway’s National Jubilee 2030, with 2025 dedicated to migration and identity.
Remembering Through Music
The album opens with Lamento – Cissi Klein in memoriam, adding another powerful historical dimension to the release.
Kleiberg wrote the piece in memory of Cissi Klein, a young Jewish girl from Trondheim who was killed during the Second World War. The composition forms part of a wider trilogy addressing Nazi persecution, alongside his Requiem – for the Victims of Nazi Persecution and cello concerto Dopo.
Consequently, remembrance becomes another important thread running through Kleiberg’s work. His compositions give historical stories an emotional dimension, allowing audiences to engage with the past through sound.
The album also features The Town and its People, completed in 2022. Together, the three compositions create a varied musical journey, moving from intimate reflection towards large-scale orchestral expression.
A Distinctive Norwegian Voice
Ståle Kleiberg has established himself as one of Norway’s accomplished living composers. His music is known for its warm and expressive character, while his larger works often explore complex historical and human themes.
His long-standing collaboration with the Trondheim Symphony Orchestra adds another important element to this release. Under the direction of Peter Szilvay, the orchestra brings depth and scale to Kleiberg’s compositions.
The album also demonstrates Kleiberg’s ability to connect personal stories with wider historical events. Migration, loss, memory and identity all become part of a broader musical conversation.
Contemporary Classical Music with a Human Story
What makes Across the Ocean towards a Higher Firmament particularly compelling is the story behind the music.
Kleiberg takes a specific chapter of Norwegian history and transforms it into an emotional orchestral journey. The result is not simply an album about the past. Instead, it asks listeners to consider the experiences of people who left everything familiar behind in search of another life.
The album therefore offers both a powerful listening experience and an opportunity to discover an important part of Norwegian history through contemporary classical music.
With the Trondheim Symphony Orchestra and Peter Szilvay at the heart of the recording, Across the Ocean towards a Higher Firmament presents another significant work from Ståle Kleiberg — one that looks backwards while speaking to themes that continue to resonate today.
