Helge Evju (born 1942)

Translator's Note: This is a machine-assisted translation completed on May 30, 2025. While care has been taken to maintain accuracy, this translation has not yet undergone human review or validation.

Evju has had a long professional career as a pianist, as well as a composer and choral conductor. He began working at the Norwegian National Opera in 1971.

In the interview, Evju shares memories of his upbringing in Drammen and his early years as a music student in the United States in the early 1960s. He also reflects on his many years as a répétiteur at the Norwegian National Opera, an environment that included many other queer individuals.

Helge Evju lost his partner Bjarne after many years together, in the early 1980s. At that time, the Open Church Group (ÅK) became an important community for him, where he was also able to contribute with his considerable musical talents. "The Open Church Group for Lesbians and Gays" was founded in 1976 with the aim of being “a living and liberating fellowship, a community that offers care and safety, and a place that encourages new thinking with the goal of contributing to gay liberation.

In an excerpt from the interview, Evju recounts his encounter with ÅK, where he helped organize solidarity services—though they were not always granted access to church buildings.

The full interview is available in our reading room. It is restricted and may only be accessed for research purposes.

Skeivt Arkiv met Helge Evju in Oslo, September 2019.