ArtistDirect News
Norwegian Violinist Bjarte Eike Joins Royal Academy of Music as Visiting Professor
A fresh chapter opens at the Royal Academy of Music (RAM) in London as Norwegian violinist Bjarte Eike is slated to take the helm of the historical performance department as a visiting professor starting September 2026.
Eike earned his undergraduate degree at the Grieg Academy in Bergen before refining his craft under violinist Richard Gwilt in London. He has since taught baroque violin at both the Royal Academy of Music in Oslo and the Royal Academy of Music in Copenhagen. In 2005 he founded the early‑music ensemble Barokksolistene, which has graced stages such as the Royal Albert Hall during the BBC Proms and has worked with RAM students in the Resounding Shores concert series.
The professorship will give students direct access to a seasoned interpreter of seventeenth‑ and eighteenth‑century repertoire. Eike’s agenda includes masterclasses focused on historically informed technique, workshops exploring period‑instrument performance practice, and a staged production of John Blow’s Venus and Adonis scheduled for early 2027. The masque, the only surviving work by Blow—who served as organist at Westminster Abbey and later at St. Paul’s Cathedral—will bring the composer’s voice to a contemporary London audience.
Eike said, "The very first time I stepped into the Academy, I felt a very strong connection with the amazing students and staff there. The welcoming, warm atmosphere, combined with top‑class musicianship, curiosity and openness, is truly inspiring. I feel both excited, humble and extremely grateful for getting this opportunity to cement and develop the partnership with the Royal Academy of Music further." RAM principal Jonathan Freeman‑Attwood added, "Each visit from Bjarte encourages our students to think out of the box, take risks and communicate the power of rhetoric, movement and poetry, as well as the sheer delight of what boundless joys music can bring to audiences. We are delighted to be cementing this association."
Eike’s arrival is expected to elevate the historical performance department’s reputation and broaden RAM’s network of period‑instrument specialists. He will assume his duties in September, with the Venus and Adonis production as the first major event under his direction. The collaboration also opens pathways for RAM students to engage with Barokksolistene and other early‑music ensembles across Europe.
The appointment underscores RAM’s commitment to deepening its historical performance offerings while fostering international partnerships that enrich student learning and performance opportunities.
Eike earned his undergraduate degree at the Grieg Academy in Bergen before refining his craft under violinist Richard Gwilt in London. He has since taught baroque violin at both the Royal Academy of Music in Oslo and the Royal Academy of Music in Copenhagen. In 2005 he founded the early‑music ensemble Barokksolistene, which has graced stages such as the Royal Albert Hall during the BBC Proms and has worked with RAM students in the Resounding Shores concert series.
The professorship will give students direct access to a seasoned interpreter of seventeenth‑ and eighteenth‑century repertoire. Eike’s agenda includes masterclasses focused on historically informed technique, workshops exploring period‑instrument performance practice, and a staged production of John Blow’s Venus and Adonis scheduled for early 2027. The masque, the only surviving work by Blow—who served as organist at Westminster Abbey and later at St. Paul’s Cathedral—will bring the composer’s voice to a contemporary London audience.
Eike said, "The very first time I stepped into the Academy, I felt a very strong connection with the amazing students and staff there. The welcoming, warm atmosphere, combined with top‑class musicianship, curiosity and openness, is truly inspiring. I feel both excited, humble and extremely grateful for getting this opportunity to cement and develop the partnership with the Royal Academy of Music further." RAM principal Jonathan Freeman‑Attwood added, "Each visit from Bjarte encourages our students to think out of the box, take risks and communicate the power of rhetoric, movement and poetry, as well as the sheer delight of what boundless joys music can bring to audiences. We are delighted to be cementing this association."
Eike’s arrival is expected to elevate the historical performance department’s reputation and broaden RAM’s network of period‑instrument specialists. He will assume his duties in September, with the Venus and Adonis production as the first major event under his direction. The collaboration also opens pathways for RAM students to engage with Barokksolistene and other early‑music ensembles across Europe.
The appointment underscores RAM’s commitment to deepening its historical performance offerings while fostering international partnerships that enrich student learning and performance opportunities.