About us

Oslo International Church Music Festival is held for 10 days each March. The festival's concerts are held in the churches of Norway's capital city, with Oslo Cathedral as the main venue. The festival programme is announced on 1st of December each year. Oslo International Church Music Festival was founded in 2000 by Artistic and Festival Director Bente Johnsrud, who took the initiative and developed the concept for the festival.

H.R.H Crown Princess Mette-Marit - Oslo International Church Music Festival's Patron

Numbers
- Approx. 500 performers every year
- Around 30 projects every year
- Approx. 35 partners/ sponsors

Upcoming festival dates:
05-14 March 2027

Oslo International Church Music Festival
2025 marked the twenty fifth Oslo International Church Music Festival and we can now look back on 24 festivals. We are an inclusive forum for church musicians, choirs, orchestras and ensembles, and for people regardless of their affiliation or belief. The festival is a central institution in the development of church music in Norway, and makes a major contribution to Oslo's recognition as an international music capital in Europe. The festival is Norway's largest exhibition of early music and associated international specialist performers, while we garner considerable international attention in our efforts to make contemporary music more visible and accessible through development efforts and educational initiatives.

Oslo International Church Music Festival proves that contemporary music is very much alive in Norway. The festival consistently works to develop projects that move the church music genre forward. We focus on the diversity of church music as a historical genre and we both preserve the tradition and develop it further. The festival's roots in Oslo, combined with the depth of our international performers, make us the leading presenter of church music in Norway and ensures a high level of professional excellence.

The festival is organized as a private foundation. The foundation's board includes representatives from Norway's church, music, cultural and business communities.

  • Bente Johnsrud is the festival director and artistic leader of the Oslo International Church Music Festival, which she initiated in 2000. Before this, she was the general manager of the Oslo Cathedral Choir at Oslo Cathedral for 7 years. Johnsrud holds a Master of Arts degree from City University London.

    In 2007 she received Oslo City’s Artist Award, and in 2012 she was awarded the Spanish order Orden del Merito Civil (Spain) for her work with Spanish cultural projects in the festival. Johnsrud has also received the national and international Paul Harris Fellow medal “in gratitude for significant efforts made to promote better understanding and friendly relations between the peoples of the world.”

    In 2023 she was awarded the French knighthood Chevalier de l’Ordre des Arts et Lettres, and in 2024 she was appointed Knight of the Order of the Star of Italy. Johnsrud was awarded the King’s Medal of Merit for her work with the Oslo International Church Music Festival over 25 years during the 2025 festival.

  • Municipal Director Sikke Næsheim (Chair)
    Provost Elisabet Yrwing Guthus (Deputy Chair)
    Dean Pål Kristian Balstad
    Investor Ola Mæle
    Senior Adviser in the Church Council Mathias Gillebo
    Cand.philol. Martha Bronder
    Head of Communications at NAF Geir Arne Servan