Stein Johan Grieg Halvorsen | Composer

About Stein Johan “Steinjo” Grieg Halvorsen

Stein Johan “Steinjo” Grieg Halvorsen (born 9 December 1975) is an award-winning Norwegian composer, director, and performer. Working across film, television, theatre, and commercials, he has composed music for a wide range of productions.

In 2024, Steinjo won the Amanda Award for Best Original Music for the feature film Bukkene Bruse på Badeland, together with composer Eyvind A. Skeie. Earlier, in 2015, the duo received the Gullruten Award for Best Original Music for the documentary Ida’s Diary (Idas dagbok). Their work has also received several nominations, including Amanda and Kanon Award nominations for film scores.

Over the years, Steinjo has collaborated with a wide range of artists, composers, and singer-songwriters and has released numerous compositions spanning multiple musical genres. His music has been written for feature films, television series, documentaries, short films, commercials, and TV opening sequences.

Steinjo laid the foundations for his career at the Barratt Due Institute of Music in Oslo before continuing his studies at the Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts (LIPA), also known as the Paul McCartney School. He also studied composition privately with the Norwegian composer Maj Sønstevold.

He received his first film music assignment in 1999 with the feature film De 7 Dødssyndene, composing the score for the short film Hovmod. In 2002 he composed his first full-length feature film score for Little Miss Norway, directed by Hilde Heier.

Awards & Nominations

Amanda Award – Best Original Music (Winner, 2024)
Bukkene Bruse på Badeland

Gullruten – Best Original Music (Winner, 2015)
Ida’s Diary (Idas dagbok)

Amanda Award – Best Original Music (Nominee, 2015)
Natt til 17

Kanon Award – Best Film Score (Nominee, 2014)
Mormor og de åtte ungene

Kanon Award – Best Film Score (Nominee, 2012)
Kong Curling

Selected Film Credits

Hvis ingen går i fella (2025)
Kaptein Sabeltann og Grevinnen av Gral (2025)
Bukkene Bruse på Badeland (2023)
Teddybjørnens jul (2022)
Helt Super (2022)
Snekker Andersen og bygda som glemte at det var jul (2019)
Natt til 17 (2014)
Mormor og de åtte ungene (2013)
Tina & Bettina – En Smestad musical (2012)
Kong Curling (2011)
Kurt blir grusom (2008)

Selected TV Credits

Nepobaby (TV2, 2025)
Pørni Seasons 1–5 (Viaplay / Netflix, 2021–2025)
Familien Lykke Seasons 1–5 (NRK, 2020–2025)
Ammo (TV2, 2022)
The Oslo Killing (TVNorge, 2019)
Grenseland (Netflix / TV2, 2017)
Unge Lovende Seasons 1–4 (NRK, 2015–2018)
Match (NRK, 2018)
Maniac (TV2, 2015)
NAV (TVNorge, 2012)

Television & Comedy

In addition to composing, Steinjo is also a director and performer. His work often blends music and humor, which has led to wide recognition across Norwegian television.

He is the creator of the acclaimed NRK series Slå på ring and Påpp & Råkk, projects in which he wrote, directed, performed, and composed the music himself.

Slå på ring ran for three seasons on NRK and was nominated twice for the international Rose d’Or in Montreux (2002 and 2004). The series was also selected for the INPUT Festival in Taiwan (2006) and nominated for a Gullruten Award for Best Comedy Program in 2003.

In 2010, Steinjo returned to television with the drama series Påpp & Råkk on NRK, which received strong reviews and featured several of Norway’s leading actors.

Read more about Steinjo

Stein Johan (Steinjo) Grieg Halvorsen, born 9 December 1975, laid the foundations of his career at the Barratt Due Institute of Music and by studying music at the Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts (also known as the Paul McCartney School). For several years, he also attended private composition lessons with the Norwegian composer Maj Sønstevold.

Steinjo got his first film music assignment with the film “De 7 Dødssyndene” in 1999, to which he composed the music for “Hovmod”, one of seven short films that were weaved together into the feature-length movie. In 2002, for the first time, he composed the music for a full-length feature film. “Little Miss Norway”, directed by Hilde Heier.

Latterly he has, along with his colleague Eyvind A. Skeie, composed music to several TV series, films and stage shows through their company Topscore Music AS. Among these, the TV series “The Oslo Killing” (TVNorway 2019), “Grenseland” (Netflix/TV2 2017), “Unge Lovende” seasons 1-4, (NRK 2015-2018), “Match” (NRK 2018), “Maniac” (TV2 2015), “NAV” (TVNorge 2012), the films “Snekker Andersen og bygda som glemte at det var jul” (2019), “Natt til 17” (2014/Nominated the Amanda Award for Best Music in 2015), “Mormor og de åtte ungene” (2013/ Nominated Kanonprisen in 2014) “Tina & Bettina – En Smestad musical” (2012), Kong Curling (2011/ Nominated Kanonprisen for Best Music in 2012), and “Kurt blir grusom” (2008). They also had the musical responsibility and composed the music for the stage show “Team Eckbo” at Chateau Neuf in 2006, and for the theatre play “Enron” at Det norske teateret (Norwegian Theatre) in 2011.

In 2015 Steinjo and Eyvind won the Gullruten Award in the category Best Original Music for the piece they composed for the documentary film “Ida’s Diary”.

Additionally, Steinjo is also a director. His musical pieces and performances are often closely knit with his sense of humor, and have led to success and awards across television, features and commercials. Among his most popular achievements are acclaimed NRK series “Slå på ring” and “Påpp & Råkk”; both his own ideas, that he directed, acted and composed himself. “Slå på Ring” lasted three seasons on NRK, and was twice nominated for the international television award Golden Rose of Montreux (Rose d `Or), in 2002 and 2004. It was also chosen to be represented at the Input festival 2006 in Taiwan, and was nominated the Gullruten Award in 2003 in the category Best Comedy Program in Norway.

In 2010, Steinjo made a comeback with the TV drama series “Påpp & Råkk” on NRK. The series received great reviews and can boast having many of Norway’s top actors on the cast list.