Sissel

Born in Bergen, Norway, in 1969, Sissel Kyrkjebø — often credited simply as Sissel — established herself from the mid-1980s on the Scandinavian scene with a repertoire that spans pop, Nordic folk, sacred music and popular classical. Her first studio album, “Sissel” (1986), was quickly followed by the Christmas record “Glade Jul” (1987), which placed her in a repertoire alternating between hymns, traditional songs and ballads. Sissel’s career took on an international dimension through collaborations with symphony orchestras, choirs and artists from both classical and crossover fields, and through appearances at televised events and ceremonies, notably around the 1994 Lillehammer Winter Olympics, as well as contributions to the soundtrack of James Cameron’s film “Titanic.” She also provided the voice of Ariel for the Norwegian version of the animated film “The Little Mermaid.” In the 2000s Sissel kept to this blend of accessible classical music and song with albums such as “Into Paradise” (2006) and “Northern Lights” (2007), mixing covers, sacred pieces and works inspired by Nordic heritage, sung in Norwegian, English and other languages.