Barratt Due Institute of Music

The Barratt Due Institute of Music is a music education institution in Oslo, Norway, founded in 1927 by pianist Mary Barratt Due and violinist Henrik Adam Due. It began in the founders’ home and developed into a multi-level educational institution based at Lyder Sagens gate 2. The institute is organized as a private foundation and receives government funding for parts of its activities. Its educational philosophy is expressed through the motto “From music kindergarten to concert podium.” Rather than treating professional training as a separate stage, Barratt Due connects early musical discovery, general instrumental education, talent development, ensemble participation, and higher performance studies within one institutional framework. The model is designed to support children and young people from their first contact with music while also preparing advanced students for professional musical careers. The institute’s programmes cover a broad age range. Its music kindergarten introduces children from infancy through the preschool years to singing, movement, improvisation, and other age-appropriate musical activities. The Barratt Due Music School provides individual lessons for beginning pupils, particularly in strings, piano, oboe, and bassoon. Unge Talenter, or Young Talents, serves musically gifted students generally between the ages of 10 and 19 through individual instruction, chamber and orchestral activities, and music theory. Musikk på Majorstuen is a school-age programme operated with Majorstuen School in Oslo and is intended to accommodate pupils with a particular interest or ability in classical music. At the higher-education level, Høyskolen Barratt Due offers bachelor’s and master’s studies in music performance, along with practical pedagogical education and further education in music didactics. Students can gain experience through ensembles associated with the institute, including Barratt Dues Kammerfilharmoni, vocal and brass ensembles, and orchestras for different age and ability groups. The institute’s ensemble-in-residence, Oslo Camerata, is a professional orchestra in which selected students may participate, creating a bridge between formal study and concert performance. Barratt Due has also maintained an important role in Norway’s classical-music ecosystem through its orchestras, teaching staff, alumni, and recurring concert traditions. The institute’s annual Christmas concert dates back to the early 1930s. During the Second World War, its premises served as a meeting place for people interested in cultural expression and music that Nazi authorities classified as “degenerate.” In 1985, the institute established its junior and symphony orchestras, and in 1986 it became a foundation. Stephan Barratt-Due became rector and artistic director in 1985 and is identified as the institute’s artistic director; he also leads Oslo Camerata. The institution remains active in music education and performance in Norway.

The Barratt Due Institute of Music was established on 18 September 1927 in the Oslo residence of pianist Mary Barratt Due and violinist Henrik Adam Due at 18 Vallegata in St. Hanshaugen. The founders initially taught lessons in their apartment. They were established musicians, and their personal reputation helped give the new institute a strong artistic foundation. The institution moved to Lyder Sagens gate 2 on 26 October 1931. That address has remained associated with Barratt Due and became the setting for a long-running institutional tradition. The annual Christmas concert was already being held by 1930. In January 1931, the institute created its music kindergarten, one of the first programmes of its kind in Norway. It is described as the country’s oldest continuously operating music kindergarten. The programme helped shape the institute’s distinctive educational pathway, later summarized by the motto “From music kindergarten to concert podium.” The early-childhood programme reflected an expansive view of musical education. Children were introduced to music through activities such as singing, movement, play, and improvisation, with teaching adapted to their developmental stage. This approach made the institute more than a conventional private music school: it created a progression from basic musical awareness to instrumental study, ensemble participation, and advanced performance training. During the Second World War, the institute became a meeting place for people interested in cultural activity and in music condemned by the occupying Nazi authorities as “degenerate.” This wartime role forms part of the institution’s cultural history, although the available reference material does not document a formal political organization or specific individual incidents connected with the meetings. Barratt Due expanded its ensemble infrastructure in the 1980s. Barratt Dues Juniororkester and Barratt Dues Symfoniorkester were established in 1985. That year Stephan Barratt-Due also became rector and artistic director. In 1986, the institute was reorganized as a foundation, formalizing its status as a private, non-corporate educational institution. Government support has since contributed to parts of its activities. The institute’s later development has centered on integrating education across age groups and levels. Its lower-level programmes serve beginning pupils and children, while Unge Talenter provides a structured route for young musicians with exceptional interest or ability. The collaboration with Majorstuen School extends this model into primary education. At the tertiary level, Høyskolen Barratt Due provides degree studies in music performance as well as practical pedagogical education and further study in music didactics. Performance is a central part of the institutional model. Students participate in chamber, vocal, brass, junior, youth, and symphonic ensembles. Oslo Camerata functions as the ensemble-in-residence and provides a professional performance environment in which selected students can participate. Other ensembles are organized by age, study level, instrument group, or educational purpose. Through these activities, Barratt Due connects classroom instruction with rehearsal discipline, chamber collaboration, orchestral experience, and public concerts. The institute continues to operate in Oslo as a multi-generational music education and performance organization. Its historical identity rests on the combination of early musical training, advanced classical performance education, recurring concert traditions, and a family-associated artistic leadership tradition. The reference material identifies Stephan Barratt-Due as its artistic director and as the leader of Oslo Camerata.

• 1986

  Converted into a foundation

  [1]Barratt Due Institute of Musicen.wikipedia.org

  The institute adopted foundation status, consistent with its role as a private educational institution receiving public support for parts of its work.

• 1985

  Junior and symphony orchestras established

  [1]Barratt Due Institute of Musicen.wikipedia.org

  Barratt Dues Juniororkester and Barratt Dues Symfoniorkester were formed, expanding the institute’s ensemble-based training.

• 1985

  Stephan Barratt-Due appointed rector and artistic director

  [1]Barratt Due Institute of Musicen.wikipedia.org

  Stephan Barratt-Due assumed the roles of rector and artistic director.

• 1931

  Move to Lyder Sagens gate 2

  [1]Barratt Due Institute of Musicen.wikipedia.org

  The institute moved to its long-associated Oslo premises on 26 October.

• 1931

  Music kindergarten established

  [1]Barratt Due Institute of Musicen.wikipedia.org

  Barratt Due created its music kindergarten in January, an early Norwegian example of organized music education for very young children.

• 1930

  Annual Christmas concert tradition established

  [1]Barratt Due Institute of Musicen.wikipedia.org

  The institute’s recurring Christmas concert tradition was already in place by 1930.

• 1927

  Institute founded

  [1]Barratt Due Institute of Musicen.wikipedia.org

  Mary Barratt Due and Henrik Adam Due founded the institute on 18 September in their home at 18 Vallegata in Oslo.

A Norwegian classical-music education institution positioned around continuous development from early childhood musical activity to advanced study, ensemble performance, and professional concert life.

• Early-childhood music education · 1931

  Musikkbarnehage

  An age-grouped music kindergarten for children from approximately 0 to 5 years old. Activities include singing, movement, improvisation, and other creative exercises adapted to children’s developmental stages. The programme introduces musical concepts without requiring conventional instrumental study and provides the foundation for Barratt Due’s progression from early childhood participation to later training.

• Beginner instrumental education

  Musikkskolen BD

  The Barratt Due Music School provides individual instrumental lessons for beginning pupils generally between 6 and 9 years old. The listed areas include string instruments, piano, oboe, and bassoon. It serves as an entry point for children moving from general musical activity into regular instrument-specific instruction.

• Youth talent development

  Unge Talenter

  A programme for young musicians approximately 10 to 19 years old who show particular interest or talent. It combines individual instrumental instruction with ensemble participation and music theory, giving students a structured development route within the institute’s broader educational system.

• School-based music education

  Musikk på Majorstuen

  A collaboration between Barratt Due and Majorstuen School for school-aged children in Oslo. The programme is designed to support pupils with a strong interest or particular ability in classical music while integrating specialist musical development with primary education.

• Higher music education

  Høyskolen Barratt Due

  The institute’s higher-education division offers bachelor’s and master’s degree studies in music performance. It also provides practical pedagogical education and further education in music didactics, combining advanced performance preparation with training for music-related teaching careers.

• Professional ensemble and student performance platform

  Oslo Camerata

  Barratt Due’s ensemble-in-residence. Oslo Camerata operates as a professional orchestra and may include selected students, providing a performance bridge between institutional study and professional concert activity. Stephan Barratt-Due is identified as its leader.

• Student orchestras and ensembles

  Barratt Due ensemble network

  The institute supports a range of ensembles, including Barratt Dues Kammerfilharmoni, Barratt Dues Vokalensemble, Barratt Dues Messingensemble, Barratt Dues Unge Symfoniorkester, Barratt Dues Juniororkester, Barratt Dues Juniorensemble, and Barratt Dues Barneorkester. They are organized around study level, age, instrument group, and performance development.

1. 1Barratt Due Institute of Musicen.wikipedia.org
2. 2Barratt Due Institute of Music official websitebarrattdue.no