BIOGRAPHY
Fredrick Schjelderup (b.1990)
is a Norwegian composer from Sandsli, Bergen (Norway). He started playing
percussion in his local school band, which he continued in various other brass
bands and youth symphony orchestras. From 2007-17 he played with the world
famous brass band, Eikanger-Bjørsvik Musikklag. His background in the brass
band community has heavily influenced his work.
Fredrick started composing whilst studying music at high school. During this time,
he received the ”Chess Scholarship” for composing, awarded by The Norwegian
Band Federation (Norges Musikkorps Forbund - NMF). The same year, he also
received a commission from ”Oi Oi Festivalen” at the Festival of Bergen
(Festspillene I Bergen).
His musical education continued at Manger Folkehøgskule where he took lessons
with the Norwegian composer Torstein Aagaard-Nilsen (2009-2010).
Fredrick finished his bachelor’s degree in composing at the Grieg Academy of
Music (University of Bergen) in 2014, which was headed by Morten Eide Pedersen.
As part of his university degree, Fredrick also took classes in conducting under the
tutelage of Harald Eikaas, Tom Brevik and Halldis Rønning.
During the course of his studies his music was performed in various countries
around the world.
In 2012, his piece “Courage” for sinfonietta was chosen by the Bit 20 Ensemble
(one of the leading contemporary music ensembles in the Nordic countries) to be
performed at the Borealis Festival.
During the last years, Fredrick has written commissions for world famous bands
like Eikanger-Bjørsvik Musikklag, Black Dyke Band and soloist works recorded by
Glenn van Looy and Joseph Cook. His music has also been chosen as set test
pieces for band competitions in Europe, as well as writing the Set Test Piece for
the European Brass Band Championship (EBBC) in Stavanger 2025.
In 2019, 2021 and 2022 he was also nominated «Piece of the year» and
«Breakthrough of the year» in the category of Classical / Contemporary music at
the Norwegian Publishers Award (Musikkforleggerprisen).
In 2022, Fredrick was engaged as the «Young composer in residence» in the world
famous, Black Dyke Band. The same year he also received the honor of being
chosen as the «Newcomer of the Year» by the world’s most visited brass band
website,4barsrest.com.
Besides working as a composer, Fredrick conducts several bands and instructs students.
Many of his compositions and arrangements have been published by leading
publishers, such as Norsk Musikkforlag (Norwegian Band Music), BVT Music and
Prima Vista Musikk and performed by some of the finest bands in the world