The pianist Signe Bakke is Associate Professor of Piano and accompaniment at the Grieg Academy where she has been employed since 1992

Bakke gave her debut concert in 1981, and has during her career done a broad range of performances as a soloist, chamber musician, accompanist for singers, pianist in BIT-ensemble and Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra. 

Norwegian music has always been an important part of her repertoire, and she has been closely affiliated with Edvard Grieg Museum -Troldhaugen where she has given concerts regularly for more than twenty years. Several times she has been engaged by Bergen International Festival, and she has featured at Oslo Contemporary Music Festival Ultima and many festivals abroad. Her recordings include several CDs with piano music by Grieg (Trold 15 2003, Trold 18 2005), songs by Grieg (Millom Rosor, Lawo 2009) as well as songs by Norwegian composers Haarklou, Schjelderup, Borgstrøm, Elling, Eggen (Shadow songs, Euridice 2007). 

Signe Bakke has collaborated with several living composers and her first performances include works by Ketil Hvoslef, Morten Eide Pedersen, and the Japanese composer Karen Tanaka. The recording ”Crystalline” Piano works by Karen Tanaka (2L 2011) received excellent reviews internationally and was acclaimed ”Best CD of the month” by Asahi Newspaper. 

Signe Bakke has been collaborating with soprano Liv Elise Nordskog for many years, and in 2013 they released the critically acclaimed CD “Pour Mi” (Lawo) with songs by Olivier Messiaen and a World Premiere Recording of songs by Claire Delbos, Messiaen’s first wife.

Popular scientific lecture

• Mattes, Arnulf Christian; Smith, Bettina; Bakke, Signe (2023). Skjulte stemmer: Anne-Marie Ørbecks sanger fra 1942. (external link)

Musical performance

• Smith, Bettina; Bakke, Signe; Mattes, Arnulf Christian (2023). Vonir i Blømetid. (external link)
• Smith, Bettina; Bakke, Signe; Mattes, Arnulf Christian (2023). Anne Marie Ørbeck - presentasjon og fremføring av sanger. (external link)
• Åvitsland, Bjørg Solsvik; Bakke, Signe (2006). Vårsanger i Vik bedehus. (external link)
• Åvitsland, Bjørg Solsvik; Bakke, Signe (2006). Medvirkning på konsert i Arna kirke. (external link)
• Åvitsland, Bjørg Solsvik; Bakke, Signe (2006). Konsert i Fedje kirke, arr. av Kystsogevekene. (external link)

Lecture

• Gilbertson, Simon; Bakke, Signe; Ege, Grete Furuseth (2022). Music of the Body. (external link)
• Gilbertson, Simon; Ege, Grete Furuseth; Bakke, Signe (2022). Music of the Body. (external link)

Music – recorded product

• Bakke, Signe; Pedersen, Morten Eide (2011). A glittering world of sound - Karen Tanaka's piano music liner notes for Karen Tanaka: Crystalline, performed by Signe Bakke. released on label 2L, 2011. (external link)

Academic lecture

• Bjørkøy, Harald; Bakke, Signe (2003). Norske lieder. Presentasjon av sentrale norske lied-komponister og norsk lied-repertoar av eldre og nyere dato. (external link)

Academic article

• Bakke, Signe; Lauritzen, Stein-Erik; Misund, A. (1994). Commercial export of Norwegian spring water - evaluation of a peculinar karst spring. (external link)

See a complete overview of publications in Cristin.

Signe Bakke har sin utdannelse fra Bergens Musikkonservatorium og Norges Musikkhøgskole (diplomeksamen). Debutkonsert i 1981.

Signe Bakke er i dag en aktiv pianist med et bredt repertoar  og variert konserterfaring. Hun har vært solist med orkester i klaverkonserter av Bach, Mozart, Chopin, Schumann og Franck, og hennes solorepertoar spenner fra barokk til samtidsmusikk.

Konsertvirksomheten omfatter konserter i flere nordiske land, sentrale land i Europa, Russland og USA. Hun har deltatt ved Festspillene i Bergen, Ultimafestivalen i Oslo, Novemberfestivalen i Moskva og ulike festivaler i Italia. 

Hun har en sterk tilknytning til Troldhaugen der hun har formidlet Griegs musikk ved tallrike konserter og spilt inn flere cd-er.   

Kammermusikk og akkompagnement av sangere  er en viktig  del av hennes virksomhet. 

Cd-en "Crystalline" (2011) med klaververker av den japanske komponisten Karen Tanaka har fått mye oppmerksomhet og god mottagelse både nasjonalt og internasjonalt.