Sissel Kyrkjebø has been singing professionally since she was 15 years old when she first appeared on the Norwegian TV show, Syng med oss (Sing with us). At age 16, she made her international TV debut during the intermission of the Eurovision song contest, which was viewed by over half a Billion people across Europe.
A few months later, on 16. October 1986, Sissel released her first album at age 17, the self-titled "Sissel" which has sold 700,000+ copies, which was a record in Norway until she broke her own record. Her second album, "Glade Jul" -- a Norwegian language Christmas album, was released the next year and set the new record for most albums sold -- over 900,000 to date -- which still holds the record for most albums sold in Norway. Sissel's combined record sales amount to over 9 million copies sold, most of them in Norway -- a country with only 4.5 million people.
In the fall of 1988, she played Maria von Trapp in a Norwegian-language production of "The Sound of Music" which was a huge success with over 110,000 tickets sold.
In 1989, she released her third album, Soria Moria, and met the man who would be her husband, the Danish comedian/singer Eddie Skoller, to whom she became engaged Christmas 1991 and married 21. August 1993. Sissel lives outside Copenhagen, Denmark with her two young daughters Ingrid and Sarah.
Sissel has performed at a variety of international events. She introduced her country's games during the closing ceremonies of the Albertville Olympics and performed again at the opening and closing ceremonies of the Lillehammer Olympics. Later that year, Sissel performed at the opening concert for World Cup Soccer '94. Christmas '94 Sissel performed with Placido Domingo and Charles Aznavour at the concert "Christmas in Vienna."
In 1997, Sissel sang on the "Titanic" soundtrack which reached number one on the Billboard charts in 1998 and the "Back to Titanic" soundtrack which debuted at #1 on the charts. She also sang the Gaelic song "Siuil A Run" on the Chieftains' 1999 album -- Tears of Stone.
On 20. November 2000 Sissel released her solo album, "All Good Things," which was her first solo album in nearly seven years. In 2001, Sissel released "All Good Things" throughout Europe and Asia.
October 1st, 2002 found Sissel finally releasing her first album in the USA, which sold approximately 100,000 copies in its first 3 months of release with almost no advertisement or marketing. Her USA album, self-titled "Sissel," is largely a new recording of songs from her Norwegian album, "All Good Things" with a couple of other songs such as "Solitaire" and "Shenandoah."
In March 2003, American fans had their dreams fulfilled with Sissel performing in her first full-length concert to be broadcast on USA TV on the Public Broadcasting System (PBS).
In March 2004, Sissel released her second USA album "My Heart," a classical crossover album, which also included two pop songs written by Richard Marx and one ballad written by Jon Lords of Deep Purple.
1. May 2005, Sissel performed with the Mormon Tabernacle Choir in Salt Lake City, Utah, USA. Sissel joined the choir to commemorate the Centennial of Norwegian Independence from Sweden, which was being celebrated in 2005. A majority of the Tabernacle Choir count their ancestry from Norway. Sissel sang the ABBA song "Like An Angel Passing Through My Room," "Vitae Lux," and "Herre gud, ditt dyre navn" with the choir.
Here's a timeline for Sissel:
1969: Sissel was born in Bergen, Norway, on 24. June.
1984: Sissel appears on norwegian TV for the first time at the age of 15.
1985: Another major TV appearance where Sissel sings the Barbra Streisand song "You Don't Bring Me Flowers Anymore"
1986: On October 16, Sissel releases her first album, "Sissel". The album sold a record 300,000 copies in Norway. Sissel was 17 years old.
1987: On November 15, Sissel released her first christmas album, "Glade Jul" in Norway. It sold a record 500,000 plus copies.
1988: Sissel appears in the musical "The Sound of Music" as Maria von Trapp at the Chateau Neuf. This was an incredible success for her.
1989: On October 5, Sissel releases her third album, "Soria Moria". On the 28th of October Sissel meets the danish entertainer Eddie Skoller during a television session in Sweden.
1990: In January, her romance with Eddie becomes known to the general public.
1991: On August 27, Sissel and Eddie sing together on stage for the first time, the song? "You are my Sunshine". During Christmas of 1991 they were engaged.
1992: Sissel releases her album, "Gift of Love".
1993: The big day arrives, Sissel and Eddie were married on the 21st of August in MariaKirken in Bergen, Norway. Thousands braved the rainy weather to cheer Sissel on.
1994: Sissel sings the Winter Olympic Anthem during the opening ceremony in Lillehammer on February 12. The next day, Sissel records the song "Fire in your Heart" with Placido Domingo. On December 22, Sissel joins Placido Domingo and Charles Aznavour for a big TV concert, "A Christmas in Vienna".
1994: February, Sissel releases her album "Innerst i sjelen".
1995: Sissel sings for Prince Charles and TV channels throughout Europe in "A Royal Galla".
1996: Sissels first child, Ingrid, an adorable baby girl is born on February 16.
1997: Sissel is invited by James Horner to put her beautiful voice to the "Titanic" soundtrack. She also joins Warren G on a compilation of hip hop meets classic on Mercury/Def Jam Recordings, Sissel's versatility is on display as she pairs up with L.A. rapper Warren G for an astonishing rendition of the classic Prince Igor, which has become a hit all over Europe.
1998: The Titanic soundtrack obtains the number one position on the Billboard charts. Sissel shares her time between her home in Denmark and the United States, where she is working on her next album due out in the Spring/Summer of
1999. (See "News" for more information)
1998: Sissel went on a very successful Christmas Tour through-out Norway, Denmark, and Sweden. Beginning in January she will continue her work on her first US released album, of which she has about 1/2 completed.
1999: Sissel is expecting a new baby in August, so plans for the release of her new album have been delayed until early 2000.
1999: Beautiful baby Sarah is born in August. The Skoller family is now four strong; Sissel, Eddie, Ingrid, and Sarah.
1999: Sissel went on a Christmas Tour throughout Norway and Sweden this December. Her performances in Denmark were cancelled due to sickness. Plans for her new album release in 2000 are still going forward, no release date yet.
2000: February, Sissel sings at the opening of the European Cultural Capital exposition in her hometown of Bergen, Norway. Thousands hear her sing "Nystemte" live including the King and Queen of Norway and hundreds of thousands of TV viewers.
2000: 31. May, Sissel performs in concert at the Nattjazz (Night Jazz) festival in her hometown Bergen with the million-selling Jazz artist, Diana Krall.
2000: May, Sissel is in the DiscLab recording studio to record her next long-awaited solo album, which is supposed to launch her as an international star. It has now been over six years since her last solo album was released in February 1994.
2000: 23. October, Sissel's first single, "One Day," from her new album was released to Norwegian radio. Her new album will be released in Norway only (at first) on 20. November. Perhaps the album will be released internationally early next year.
2000: 20. November, Sissel released her first solo album in almost seven years. "All Good Things" was released in Norway only on this day.
2001: March, Sissel records "Himlen over Himmelbjerget," a song for the soundtrack of the Danish children's movie "Flyvende Farmor (The Flying Grandmother)" and has a cameo role in the film as Inga the female lumberjack.
2001: 21. April, Sissel's album "All Good Things" is released in Japan.
2001: April, Sissel sings a duet with the Danish gothic rockers Sort Sol on the track "Elias Rising." This song appears on the Sort Sol album, Snakecharmer, released in May, 2001.
2001: 29. June, Sissel performs "Elias Rising" with Sort Sol before 70,000 fans at the Roskilde Festival, a rock music festival in Roskilde, Denmark.
2002: 1. October, Sissel releases her first album in the USA, the self-titled "Sissel." It sells 100,000 copies in its first 3 months of release with almost no marketing or advertising. The album sells better than Decca record execs expect. Their initial goal was to sell 100,000 copies in the first 9 months.
2003: 1. March, Sissel debuts her first full-length concert to be broadcast on American television on the Public Broadcasting System (PBS).
2004: 2. March, Sissel releases her second album, My Heart, in the USA and goes on her first real tour of America with concerts in 14 USA cities.
2004: Summer & Fall, Sissel goes on tour with The Lord of the Rings Symphony Tour. Sissel was a featured soloist on an orchestral performance dedicated to the music from one of film's greatest achievements. At each performance, Sissel performed with a symphony orchestra and choirs with 200 musicians on stage.
Howard Shore stated, "Ancient Norwegian mythology and culture had a great influence on Tolkien's work. It is very thrilling to have the Norwegian singer Sissel perform as a soloist in The Lord of the Rings Symphony. Sissel's radiant voice illuminates this work."
When asked about the tour in a recent interview, Sissel raved "I love the music. It's such a wonderful feeling to be sitting in the middle of a symphony orchestra, surrounded by the beautiful voices of the choir and all those gorgeous melodies."
2005: 1. May, Sissel performed as a guest soloist with the Mormon Tabernacle Choir in Salt Lake City, Utah, USA on their TV broadcast "Music and the Spoken Word" which is broadcast to nearly 2,000 TV and radio stations across the USA and around the world.
The program with Sissel is to commemorate the Norwegian Centennial of Independence from Sweden.
