Poing

Accordion, saxophone, double bass

«Selv den mest sammenknytte skeptiker må gi tapt.»

Morgenbladet

Biography

Poing and contemporary music in Norway are two sides of the same coin. For 25 years, Frode Haltli, Rolf-Erik Nystrøm, and Håkon Thelin have played themselves, and contemporary music in this country, into the world elite. They have done this by being three of the world’s leading performers on accordion, saxophone, and double bass, respectively.

What sets Poing apart from many others is their enormous flexibility and ability to change musical styles. They don’t just work with “strange and difficult” contemporary music. They are also smart enough to use, and play with, established artists and works, integrating them into the present time. This is a gift that only a few contemporary musicians at this level possess.

They have premiered over 150 works, been soloists with everything from the Oslo Philharmonic to The Dubliners, and made the entire Grieg Hall at the Bergen International Festival stand in silence for 5 minutes before the King and Queen were played in to the tunes of Metallica. Quite a gang, in other words.