Rex Lawson

How to bring more music into the home? Former Norwegian prime Minister Christian Michelsen (1857–1925) had the answer. 

Before the turntable and the plethora of streaming services, you had to perform the music you wanted to listen to. Every furnished home had a piano, and, hopefully, a skilled pianist. The playlist of the household depended on the pianist’s talent and repertoire. 

But in the 1890s, the pianola arrived – a so-called 'self-playing piano' that, with the help of pre-programmed music rolls, made it possible to play all kinds of music, solely by using the feet. The Michelsen couple, pioneers in many ways, sought recommendations from Edvard Grieg and acquired their own pianola for their home at Gamlehaugen – a type called Phonola. The instrument, along with the many music rolls that Michelsen collected, still stands in his living room. 

The pianola went out of fashion by the late 1920s, but during the Bergen International Festival, Michelsen’s pianola takes centre stage in an intimate concert in the entrance hall. 

Manning the pedals is British Rex Lawson, who has dedicated his life to this special instrument. He studied with the last surviving performer from the golden age of the pianola and has performed worldwide with artists such as Pierre Boulez and Sir Simon Rattle. Through the pianola, Lawson has brought historical interpretations of works by Rachmaninoff, Stravinsky, and Percy Grainger to life on stage. 

Image: Rex Lawson playing on the pianola at Gamlehaugen, during a visit in 2024 (photo: Thor Brødreskift)

Contributors

• Rex Lawson phonola

Practical information

• There will be unnumbered seating in both the hall and the gallery. 

• Doors will open 30 minutes before the concert starts.

A collaboration between

Bergen International Festival and Statsbygg