With his album Personal Best, Eivind Buene embarks on a fresh artistic journey, showcasing his unique vision for contemporary music. Released in 2026 through LAWO Classics, this album features internationally renowned Trio Accanto, alongside the sonic expertise of SWR Experimentalstudio.
At its core, “Personal Best” is a series of sound collages built from recorded conversations and collaborative improvisations. By inviting Marcus Weiss, Nicolas Hodges, and Christian Dierstein to reflect on their careers and identities, Buene succeeds in humanizing the chamber music medium. These voices are not mere performers—they are the protagonists of their own stories, reinterpreted through Buene’s compositional lens.
This multi-layered approach generates a vivid emotional palette. Listeners encounter lush soundscapes adorned with electronics, while themes of time and remembrance permeate every movement. Buene’s notion of “telescopic listening” allows audiences to be transported from one era to another, evoking both nostalgia and anticipation.
In addition to the trio portrait, Personal Best includes Serious Songs, a personal take on Brahms’ late vocal works. Sung by Buene himself, these songs bridge the gap between the romantic and the contemporary, affirming Buene’s talent for infusing classical forms with twenty-first-century relevance.
