ECM 2026: Rolf Lislevand

Rolf Lislevand, lute and Baroque guitar

Open to all kinds of new music drawn from jazz, European folk forms and contemporary classical ideas, NCH celebrates the trailblazing independent German label, ECM.

Virtuoso of the lute and Baroque guitar Rolf Lislevand is one of the most charismatic figures in today’s early music scene. He was born in Oslo in 1961 and studied classical guitar at the Norwegian State Academy of Music from 1980 to 1984. He continued his studies with Hopkinson Smith and Eugène Dombois at the Schola Cantorum Basiliensis in Switzerland and later played with several of Jordi Savall’s ensembles.

Lislevand assembled a group of international early music virtuosi for his very successful ECM debut in 2006, tellingly entitled Nuove Musiche, which focused on early Italian Baroque songs from the late 17th century. His last album on ECM is a solo recording which was euphorically embraced by critics.

Presented by NCH

NCH presents this special series as part of the Cultural Programme for Ireland’s 2026 Presidency of the Council of the European Union. It is supported by the Department of Culture, Communications and Sport.