Fieldwork & Artistic Research

A digital archive of cross-cultural studies, historical instruments, and the creative processes behind my projects

The Baroque guitar

Developed before the 1600s as a direct precursor to the modern classical guitar, the 5-course Baroque guitar features an entirely different internal geometry, a distinct re-entrant tuning system, and a striking, historically specific percussive attack. What began as an artistic deep-dive during the pandemic has evolved into a cornerstone of my cross-cultural performance and recording practice.

Rather than treating the instrument strictly as a museum piece for historical reproduction, I am actively exploring its boundaries across two main artistic fronts:

  • Historical & Transcribed Repertoire: Mastering and expanding classical literature for the instrument, including my own interpretations of historical works from the 17th and 18th centuries by composers like Gaspar Sanz, Santiago de Murcia, and Francesco Corbetta. These works come alive on the instrument's unique double-string courses, adding an ornate layer of acoustic luxury.

  • Contemporary Fusion & Collaboration: Integrating the antique percussive textures of the Baroque guitar into non-classical environments. This includes weaving its unique voice into the West African kora dialogues of Tilibo (featured on the 2024 album Woo La Ba), and incorporating it into cross-genre theatre productions like Carpe Diem. Looking forward, I am expanding this direction through upcoming contemporary collaborations with percussionist François Taillefer, alongside specialized project developments with celebrated Spanish flamenco guitarist Óscar Lago, and the internationally renowned lutenist and early music expert Thor-Harald Johnsen(Rolf Lislevand Ensemble, ECM Records, former research fellow at the Grieg Academy) Here are some videos of early developement in this project.

Canarios by Gaspar Sanz. With Thor Harald Johnsen, Bergen Barokk, Currentes and Canta at Johanneskirken i Bergen desember 2023

Fandango by Santiago de Murcia performed at Sogn og Fjordane kunstmuseum during Førdefestivalen July 2025

Francoil Taillefer and Ole Andre Farstad house concert at 28 rue Fabricy in Lille March 2026

Francois Taillefer and Ole Andre Farstad, consert at Lyst og Fryd, Bergen 18 october 2025

Gamelan Traditions of Giri Kusuma, Bali

In 2010, I underwent intensive fieldwork immersing myself in the rich, percussive tapestries of traditional Balinese gamelan at Giri Kusuma (Flower Mountain) in Payangan. This specialized educational compound allowed me to study the vast structural and sonic differences between various historical Indonesian regional styles:

  • Gamelan Selunding: One of Bali's oldest, most sacred iron-keyed ritual ensembles, defined by its archaic tuning systems.

  • Gamelan Gong Kebyar: The explosive, twentieth-century bronze style celebrated for its lightning-fast dynamic shifts and interlocking virtuosic patterns (kotekan).

  • Gamelan Jegog: A deeply resonant regional orchestra constructed entirely from massive bamboo tubes, native to West Bali.

This intense rhythmic training profoundly reshaped my approach to polyrhythmic guitar phrasing and cross-cultural ensemble arrangement. Above is a short archival glimpse into this transformative creative process.

Afro-Platense Polyphony: Studying Candombe with La Sonora

During an intensive three-week residency in La Plata, Argentina—conducted in affiliation with my Master of Music studies at Guildhall School of Music & Drama—I embedded myself within the profound rhythm and history of Candombe. Led by the celebrated collective La Sonora, this field study focused on mastering the intricate polyrhythmic layers of this Afro-Platense musical tradition.

Candombe relies on the tight, interlocking communication of three distinct barrel drums (chico, repique, and piano), which together form a dense sonic wall born from cultural resistance and community identity. Analyzing how these deep group percussion grooves create a state of rhythmic trance radically transformed my understanding of syncopation and groove-driven tension. This experience continues to directly inspire the rhythmic architecture of my global string projects today

The Xian (线) Project — Cross-Continental Research in China

Category:Plucked Traditions & Electroacoustic Composition
Collaborators:Nora Yuyue Zheng (Guzheng)
Location:Yunnan, Shanghai, and Inner Mongolia (China)
Supported by:Music Norway, Fond for utøvende kunstnere (FFUK), and Bergen Kommune

In late 2023, I embarked on an extensive, multi-provincial research and recording expedition across China alongside the virtuoso Guzheng (Chinese 21-string zither) player and producer Nora Yuyue Zheng. Operating under the collaborative banner Xian / 线 (the Chinese word for strings), our artistic development focuses on exploring the sonic boundaries where traditional Eastern acoustic architecture meets Western string techniques and real-time electronic processing.

Our field studies spanned radically different regional music cultures, from the ancient folk traditions of Yunnan, to the cutting-edge avant-garde and electroacoustic scenes in Shanghai, and up into the distinct nomadic vocal and string heritages of Inner Mongolia.

Rather than engaging in superficial cross-genre fusion, our research systematically breaks down the microtonal possibilities, string tension, and resonant physics of the Guzheng and Western acoustic guitars. By collecting localized environmental audio and capturing raw acoustic dialogues with localregional master musicians, we are developing a joint electroacoustic album that integrates ancient string geometry with ambient sound design and modern synthesis