Origin Artist

Skarpeid fills us with so much joy as she reveals herself to be an artist of the first order...
Raul da Gama

April 24, 1957 - May 19, 2023

Skarpeid was very interested in music throughout her childhood in Stavanger. In her hometown, she performed with the choir Sky Sing and as a vocal soloist.

Grete found inspiration in artists such as Joni Mitchell, James Taylor, Maria Joan and many more. Over the years, she also enjoyed classical composers.

During music studies in Germany, Skarpeid developed a sense of the exciting world of jazz.

Grete Skarpeid settled in Voss, where she worked as a speech therapist and music teacher. She became known as a talented artist and songwriter in the jazz and folk pop landscape, ala Radka Toneff and Karin Krog. Her lyrics dealt with self-experienced events.

Grete's friendship with jazz pianist Aruàn Ortiz led to a fruitful musical collaboration. This was documented in the film "Grete and the Cuban Pianist". This was supposed to be a TV documentary in 2022. Later, it has been planned to be released in 2026.

Grete Skarpeid died after a long illness on 19 May 2023.

"Grete and the Cuban Pianist" is a musical feel-good film. It tells the story of Stavanger artist Grete Skarpeid, who is a speech therapist in Voss, in good adulthood gets the chance to work with the world-famous pianist Aruán Ortiz on her debut album.

The main character in the film, Grete Skarpeid, lives in Voss, where she works as a speech therapist and music therapist. However, she was born, raised and started her musical journey in Stavanger. She was a member of Sky Sing and trained at the music program at Vågen vgs.

The documentary is made with the message that it is never too late to live out your dreams, and to dare to jump into unknown situations.

Skarpeid didn't start focusing on making music himself until adulthood. The documentary begins with Grete being in a life crisis, where she started singing her own songs on mobile recordings.

After Grete had gone alone to a jazz concert with the Don Byron trio in 2014, she happened to get into a conversation with the famous Cuban-American pianist Aruán Ortiz. The conversation turned to music, and he asked if Skarpeid sang or had recorded anything himself.

The then 57-year-old Stavanger woman remembered that she had her private recordings on her mobile phone. Grete played them for Ortiz, who liked what he heard. The world-famous pianist invited Skarpeid to record albums with renowned musicians such as Rob Waring, Cameron Brown and Gerald Cleaver in his studio in New York.

Director Vigdis Nielsen heard Grete Skarpeid's story at a party in Stavanger. Fascinated, she wanted to document the adult artist's journey towards a new direction in life.

It is a tough and expensive process for Grete to follow her dream. In addition to his regular income, Skarpeid financed his expenses by designing, sewing and selling dresses during his holidays.

Filming started in 2017, and takes viewers on a musical journey in Norway, the United States and Cuba. The result is two recordings and a series of concerts in Havana. Due to corona, the process had to take a long break. The film's final period is marked by the fact that Grete has cancer.

"Grete and the Cuban Pianist" was scheduled to be released as a TV documentary in 2022. Grete Skarpeid had to give up against the disease in 2023.

The film is scheduled to be released in 2027.

RECORDINGS FEATURING Grete Skarpeid

Grete Skarpeid

Beyond Other Stories

Origin 82813