Iva Bittová was born in 1958 in Bruntál in northern Moravia in what was then Czechoslovakia – and nowadays the Czech Republic. Both of her parents were musicians. Her mother Ludmila was a pre-school teacher who spent most of her life with her family; her father Koloman Bitto – Bittová is the surname’s female form – was a musician strongly influenced by the land of his birth – southern Slovakia. Iva attended drama pre-school, specializing in violin and ballet. In due course she gained admittance to the Music Conservatory in Brno, often called the Czech Republic’s second city. She graduated in drama and music. During her studies, Iva took part-time engagements as an actress and musician in Brno’s Divadlo Husa na provázku (Goose On A String Theater). She cites these engagements as some of the most formative and influential of her life. Around this time, she also featured as an actress in radio, TV and movie productions. Later on, while working full time in theatre, she re-kindled her interest in playing violin, an instrument she had set aside in her younger years. After her father’s early death, she decided to follow in his professional footsteps as an instrumentalist and by composing her own music.
Johan Egdetveit (1965) is an accordionist from Voss, currently based in Stavanger, Norway. Voss is famous for upholding the historical and traditional, including music and food. Exposed to both sheep-heads and Hardanger fiddle from a young age, combined with the unique avant-garde accordion society there starting in the 70s, it is no wonder that Egdetveit feels at home in the Angrusori project. After studying at The Norwegian Academy of Music, Egdetveit worked for 2 years as a folklore musician at Epcot centre, Disney World Fl. After this he moved to Stavanger, building a career as an independent musician, composer and producer. He has worked with a lot of the most famous Norwegian artists, appears on more than 30 albums, received a lot of grants both local and national. Was elected Childrens’ artist of the year in the city of Sandnes in 2019.
Marcela and Jozef Dreveňák live with their large family in the small town of Bardejov in eastern Slovakia. In addition to playing and singing at home almost daily, they are part of several music projects. Jana Belišová, an ethnomusicologist, noticed Marcel's singing in 2001. Two years later, she performed at the Bažant Pohoda festival, and in 2007 she and her husband Jozef were selected for the AfterPhurikane music project, which brought together Roma and non-Roma (classical and folk) musicians. In addition to singing, Jozef plays guitar, violin and keys. The Dreveňák family performed with AfterPhurikane, but also independently at many concerts and festivals in Slovakia and abroad (Switzerland, Belgium, Luxembourg, Germany, Norway, Czech Republic). They released two separate CDs - Giľav! and Giľav II.
Nils Henrik Asheim (1960), Norwegian composer and organist, is also active as a pianist, curator and organizer. He has written chamber music pieces, works for symphony orchestra, organ and choir, as well as projects in public space and projects with theatrical elements. Asheim has been acclaimed by critics for his personal style of improvisation on the organ, and has performed in many European countries and in the U.S. Asheim was the principal founder of the multidisciplinary arts centre Tou Scene, installed in a converted brewery in Stavanger, where he for ten years headed the centre’s artistic development. Since 2012 he has been the resident organist of the new concert hall in Stavanger. Here he is running an ambitious and eclectic concert series, targeting a large public but also lending the instrument to experimentation and development of new creation. Nils Henrik Asheim studied at the Norwegian Academy of Music and the Sweelinck Conservatory in Amsterdam. He has twice won the Spellemannspris (Norwegian "Grammy") and numerous composition prizes, among them the prestigious Nordic Council Music Prize 2018 for “Muohta – Language of Snow”.
Patrik Žiga lives in the village Prakovce in eastern Slovakia. He attended the Conservatory, where he played in an orchestra specializing in chamber music, folk and entertainment. He has performed at a variety of venues, from schools to several concerts for the president. In addition, he had his own folk band. He later played in the band Radišagos (Joy), with which he recorded a CD and toured several times in Switzerland. Under the direction of Hans Zimmer he recorded music for the film Sherlock Holmes 2. He also performed with the Romathan Theater in Poland and Slovakia.
Reed player, researcher and author Petter Frost Fadnes (1974) spent his formative years in the UK, resettling in Norway in 2008 still under the influence of British improvised music. He is known for utilizing the (seemingly) full range of sound-possibilities on his alto and baritone, incorporating everything from the jazz canon to abstract noise and electronics in his improvisational approaches. In addition to Angrusori, he is a regular member of the Stavanger-based Kitchen Orchestra and the trios The Geordie Approach and Mole, to name but a few. He is Professor of improvised music at the Faculty of Performing Arts, University of Stavanger. His book Jazz on the Line – Improvisation in Practice was out on Routledge in 2020.
Roman Harvan studied at the Academy of Performing Arts, worked in the State Chamber Orchestra in Žilina, and is currently at the Slovak National Theater in Bratislava. He is the author of stage music for puppet and city theater in Žilina. He performed in the International Central European Orchestra, with Placid Domingo playing a concert at the Olympic Stadium in Innsbruck. He has toured many times abroad (Amsterdam, USA, Japan, Brazil, Jerusalem, Athens ...) He is a co-founder of the ensemble VENI - orchestra for contemporary music. He has collaborated on several albums: Helpless Handful (4 albums, one author's), Polajka (two albums - Janáček's songs), ballads with Robert Pospiš, songs with Vladimír Šarišský and released two author's CDs. In addition, he collaborated with the ensemble Solamente Naturali, Debris Company, Home made mutant. In his spare time, he enjoys painting.
Signe Irene Time (1987) is a vocalist and musician currently based in Stavanger, Norway. Signe Irene has a background in jazz, rock, contemporary music and other improvisation-oriented music. She is active in several bands and ensembles, reaching both national and international audiences. Among other projects, Signe Irene is active in the Norwegian Grammy nominated chamber ensemble Song Circus, the improvisation collective Kitchen Orchestra, and the jazz quartet Significant Time. She is also experienced in working interdisciplinary with other artistic expressions, and have written music for several performing arts projects. Signe Irene has performed at several renowned festivals such as Novembersound (NL), Aberdeen Soundfestival (UK), Ultima (NO), 12Points (DK), All Ears (NO), and have worked with composers such as Ruben Sverre Gjertsen, Therese Birkelund, Trevor Wishart, and Jaap Blunk. She holds a degree as a teacher in musical performance from the University in Stavanger. Signe Irene have received many prizes and grants, such as Stavanger Municipality’s Cultural Grant in 2018 and 2021, and the Stavanger University IMD-fund grant in 2013.
Ståle Birkeland was born in Voss, Norway in 1981. He moved to the UK in 2002 to study music at Leeds College of Music, completing both a BA and an MMus in jazz performance. In Leeds Ståle rapidly developed a reputation as a talented and skilful improviser and made his first solo performance when he performed Pierre Alexandre Tremblay's piece for a free jazz drummer, processing, and interactive system, entitled 'La Rage'. Ståle now lives in Stavanger, Norway, touring and working extensively in groups such as The Geordie Approach, Kitchen Orchestra, Pocket Corner, EGG3 and various ad hoc constellations, as well as teaching and working on projects for children.
