Biography

Bendik was born in Larvik and grew up in Sandefjord, where he started learning the violin at the age of 8. He also took piano lessons at the local music school an learned jazz harmony from his father, Ole Engebretsen, who is a jazz trumpeter, flutist and arranger.

At the age of 16, while in high school, he started taking violin lessons with Leif Jørgensen, professor at the Østlandets music conservatory in Oslo. After high school he continued his violin studies with Leif Jørgensen and Kaare Sæther at the conservatory.

Kløvendal then decided to take a break from his music studies, and took a bachelor degree in computer science and cybernetics. During this period, he met violinist Piotr Janowski and was encouraged to take up his violin studies again. Beside his job as a computer engineer, he studied violin with Janowski for 5-6 years, a period of great inspiration - and a lot of hard work!

In his youth, Kløvendal also played keyboard and piano in a few bands and a jazz quartet.

Kløvendal has been concert master of the Vestfold Symphony Orchestra since 1995 and was a member of the Telemark Chamber Orchestra for more than 20 years. He is the leader of the Marcato String Quartet and Strings4You Quartet, and has lead many chamber orchestra projects in Vestfold. He also appears regularly as a violin soloist with different ensembles in the region.

Kløvendal has also been an active composer and arranger during his musical career. He has composed music for NRK and has been a prolific arranger for chamber ensembles and symphony orchestra. His latest work "Chiaroscuro" was recently premiered by TERJUNGENSEMBLE.