St. Cecilia Music

St. Cecilia Music is a Norwegian independent (indie) record label founded in 2003 by the artist and songwriter Unni Wilhelmsen. Its sole purpose is to release Wilhelmsen's own music; the company has no employees and therefore cannot consider demos or release music by other artists. Alongside record releases and the relatively extensive day-to-day running of her own company, Wilhelmsen's main focus is her work as a concert artist and songwriter. Before St. Cecilia Music was established, Unni Wilhelmsen had a recording contract with PolyGram AS and later Universal Music AS, during which period she released four albums. Her debut album, To Whom It May Concern, was released on PolyGram in 1996 and earned her two Spellemannpriser (Norwegian Grammy Awards), in the categories Album of the Year and Female Artist of the Year. After her major-label period, she founded St. Cecilia Music and has since released her subsequent solo albums through the label, including Hurricane's Eye (2002), Til meg (2006), 7 (2010), Unni Wilhelmsen live med Bodø Rythm Group & Bodø Sinfonietta (2013), and Unni synger Wilhelmsen (Live fra Ibsenhuset) (2021). The label is a micro-operation built around a single artist's catalogue. Wilhelmsen writes most of her own music and lyrics, though she has sometimes collaborated with others, including her partner Terje Borg. Her first Norwegian-language releases followed five albums in English. The label's catalogue documents her evolution as a singer-songwriter in the American singer/songwriter and visepreget pop tradition, with guitar as her main instrument and piano also featured. St. Cecilia Music is based in Norway and operates in the Norwegian market. It is a private, independent label with no parent company and no outside ownership; Wilhelmsen is both founder and owner. The label's name references Saint Cecilia, the patron saint of music, though the business itself is a small, artist-run imprint rather than a religious or institutional entity. Its website, stceciliamusic.com, serves as the label's official online presence, with sections for releases, Unni Wilhelmsen, Fett studio, and contact information.

St. Cecilia Music was founded in 2003 by the Norwegian singer, songwriter and musician Unni Wilhelmsen. Before establishing her own label, Wilhelmsen had been signed to PolyGram AS, one of the largest and most important record companies operating in Norway at the time, and later to Universal Music AS. During that major-label period she released four albums: To Whom It May Concern (1996, PolyGram), Definitely Me (1997, PolyGram), Back In the Blonde (2000, Universal Music) and Disconnected (2001, Universal Music). Her 1996 debut, To Whom It May Concern, was a breakthrough that earned her two Spellemannpriser (Norwegian Grammy Awards) in the categories Album of the Year and Female Artist of the Year. After the Universal period, Wilhelmsen founded St. Cecilia Music with the sole purpose of releasing her own music. The label's first release was Hurricane's Eye in 2002, followed by Til meg in 2006, 7 in 2010, Unni Wilhelmsen live med Bodø Rythm Group & Bodø Sinfonietta in 2013, and Unni synger Wilhelmsen (Live fra Ibsenhuset) in 2021. The label has no employees, and its website states that it does not have the capacity to assess demos or release music by other artists. Wilhelmsen works full-time as an artist and musician and runs the label herself alongside her concert and songwriting career. Wilhelmsen's music is described as visepreget popmusikk in the original American singer/songwriter tradition. Guitar is her main instrument, though she also plays piano; her first song with piano as the lead instrument, "Fingerbøl", was released in 2006 as track 10 on the album Til meg (St. Cecilia Music). She writes most of her own music and lyrics, but has sometimes collaborated with others, including her partner Terje Borg, and these collaborations produced her first Norwegian-language releases after five albums in English. Beyond her solo work, Wilhelmsen has been active in other projects. In 2012 she took part in the theatre production Postkort fra Lillebjørn at Oslo Nye Teater, performing as an acting vocalist and guitarist. In 2013 she joined the Norwegian pop band Di Derre, taking over the place of Knut Nesbø, who died earlier that year; her first project with the band was the anthology Historien om et band, released the same year, and she has continued as the band's regular guitarist. She also formed a trio with Solveig Heilo and Hanne Mari Karlsen, performing selected songs from her eight albums as well as songs by Heilo and songs originally released by Katzenjammer, Joni Mitchell, Lillebjørn Nilsen, First Aid Kit and others. Wilhelmsen has received several awards, including the Audun Tyldens Minnepris in 2017 and the Tekstforfatterfondets ærespris in 2023, and was nominated for the Edvard-prisen in 2004 in the popular music category for "Sober". St. Cecilia Music remains an active, private, artist-run independent label based in Norway, releasing Wilhelmsen's music and maintaining an official website with sections for releases, Unni Wilhelmsen, Fett studio and contact.

• 2021

  Live album Unni synger Wilhelmsen (Live fra Ibsenhuset) is released on St. Cecilia Music.

• 2013

  Live album Unni Wilhelmsen live med Bodø Rythm Group & Bodø Sinfonietta is released on St. Cecilia Music.

• 2010

  Album 7 is released on St. Cecilia Music.

• 2006

  Album Til meg is released on St. Cecilia Music, including the first Wilhelmsen song with piano as lead instrument, "Fingerbøl".

• 2003

  St. Cecilia Music is founded by Unni Wilhelmsen.

• 2002

  St. Cecilia Music releases Hurricane's Eye, the label's first release.

• 1996

  Unni Wilhelmsen releases debut album To Whom It May Concern on PolyGram and wins two Spellemannpriser.

Artist-run independent label dedicated exclusively to releasing Unni Wilhelmsen's own music.

• 2002

  Hurricane's Eye

• 2006

  Til meg

• 2010

  7

• 2013

  Unni Wilhelmsen live med Bodø Rythm Group & Bodø Sinfonietta

• 2021

  Unni synger Wilhelmsen (Live fra Ibsenhuset)

1. 1St. Cecilia Music official websitestceciliamusic.com
2. 2St. Cecilia Music on Wikidatawikidata.org
3. 3Unni Wilhelmsen on Norwegian Wikipediano.wikipedia.org