Queen Sonja of Norway has always been strongly involved in classical music. After a long break due to the coronavirus pandemic, she was finally able to appear again, alone, at an event when she enjoyed a concert at the local chamber music festival in the Norwegian town of Kongsberg.
As the 20th anniversary of the festival was postponed from last year to this year, this was an anniversary celebration. Queen Sonja was received by the city’s political leadership and those who have organized the festival as she arrived on January 26th 2022. The concert was held in the old Kongsberg church which was built in1761. The concert was dedicated to the famous Gloger organ which is very special. Her Majesty heard a varied programme with pieces performed by an organist from Notre Dame in Paris, Olivier Latry.
This is not the first time the Queen has attended a concert at this chamber music festival. Queen Sonja was also present during a concert in 2003 making it almost 20 years since the last royal attendance at the festival.
In 2003, there was a large crowd by the church when Queen Sonja arrived. She was warmly received by several hundred people. Beforehand, many children and families had worked on making ice lanterns, which lit up on the way to the church. For infection control reasons, this time it was a smaller reception for the Norwegian queen.
The Gloger Festival is an annual chamber music festival in Kongsberg which is arranged by the Gloger Academy on the last weekend in January every year. The festival is named after Kongsberg Church’s Gloger organ, which is one of the central instruments during the festival. The Gloger Festival was held for the first time in 2001.
