Categories
Contemporary Norwegian

GJEILO, Ola

Photo of Ola Gjeilo
Photo by Lillian Andersen

Born in Skui, Norway, May 5, 1978

[OH-la YAY-lo]

  • Ola Gjeilo is an improvisatory pianist and composer of primarily choral music.
  • After studying at the Norwegian Academy of Music and the Royal College of Music, Gjeilo earned his master’s degree in composition from the Juilliard School. He also spent a year studying film music at USC.
    • Gjeilo has remained a resident of the US since his time studying at Juilliard and currently resides in NYC.
  • Gjeilo’s musical style is described as “cinematic and evocative, with a lush, harmonious sound.” When he composes, Gjeilo rarely draws inspiration from external sources, instead allowing the “blank canvas” of a new piece to reveal itself.1

Learn More
Composer’s website

Sources

  1. “An Interview with Composer Ola Gjeilo,” J.W. Pepper (2019), accessed December 12, 2025, https://blogs.jwpepper.com/an-interview-with-composer-ola-gjeilo/.

Pieces