At first he took a teaching exam in 1902 before he turned to music professionally, studying at the Oslo conservatory with Catharinus Elling, Peter Lindeman and C. Johnson (1902, organ exam 1905) and in Leipzig (1906-07) with Karl Straube and Stephan Krehl. In between he had started working as an organist (since 1908). Later he became the chairman of the Norwegian Composers’ Association (1927-45).
