Audun Halvorsen, born 1979, grew up in Haugesund on the west coast of Norway. He started his studies with Robert Rønnes and continued in the Norwegian State Academy of Music with Eirik Birkeland and Knut Sønstevold. Ole Kristian Dahl was his teacher and mentor since 2001.
Audun is a dedicated orchestra musician. He got his first Principal Bassoon job in Norrköping Symphony Orchestra in 2001. During 2002 he also held the same position at the Norwegian Opera, Oslo, followed by Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra 2005-06, and NDR Elbphilharmonie Orchester, Hamburg in 2010-11. He is since 2006 Principal Bassoon in the Danish National Symphony Orchestra DR in Copenhagen.
As guest principal he has also appeared with orchestras such as London Symphony Orchestra, Mahler Chamber Orchestra, Oslo Philharmonic Orchestra, Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra, Symphony Orchestras of Gothenburg, Bergen, Stavanger, Iceland, Birmingham and The Norwegian Chamber Orchestra.
He played with the Luzerne Festival Orchestra 2011, with Claudio Abbado as Conductor, and in 2018 with Riccardo Chailly.
He did his soloist debut in 2003 with Stavanger Symphony Orchestra as ”The Young Musician of the Year”, followed by solo appearances with Norrköping Symphony Orchestra, Norwegian Radio Symphony Orchestra, Aalborg Symphony Orchestra, DR SymfoniOrkestret and NDR Elbphilharmonie Orchester.
In 2003 he won the ”Crusell Bassoon Competition” in Uusikaupunki in Finland, and was also given the ”Norwegian Shell prize”
Audun is an active chamber musician and was a member of «Diamant Ensemblet» in Copenhagen. He is a member of the DR SymfoniOrkestrets Woodwind Quintet, has participated in chamber music festivals, such as the festivals in Risør, Stavanger, Rosendal, Oslo, Gloppen, Korsholm, Uusikaupunki and Ísafjörður..
Audun has given Master Classes in Europa and China, and teaches bassoon at The Royal Danish Academy of Music – DKDM in Copenhagen.