Nina Grieg Nina Grieg Nina Grieg, née Hagerup (24 November 1845 – 9 December 1935) was a Danish–Norwegian lyric soprano. Nina Hagerup was born in Bergen, Norway. She was the first cousin of composer Edvard Grieg, whom she married. The couple often performed concerts together in Europe, usually to rave reviews. Edvard considered her the best performer of his songs. She was featured as a soloist in Felix Mendelssohn's "Elijah" with "Musikselskabet Harmonien" (later known as the Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra) in 1866. The English composer Frederick Delius dedicated two sets of songs to her in the years 1888–1890. Nina Grieg never recorded
Edvard Grieg to give the melody of the second theme in the first movement to a solo trumpet). In 1874–76, Grieg composed incidental music for the premiere of Henrik Ibsen's play "Peer Gynt", at the request of the author. Grieg had close ties with the Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra (Harmonien), and later became Music Director of the orchestra from 1880 to 1882. In 1888, Grieg met Tchaikovsky in Leipzig. Grieg was struck by the greatness of Tchaikovsky. Tchaikovsky thought very highly of Grieg's music, praising its beauty, originality and warmth. Grieg was awarded two honorary doctorates, first by the University of Cambridge in