Britannia Hotel has a long and proud history of musical performance, especially when it comes to live piano in the exotic setting of Palmehaven.

Even before the hotel was established in 1870, the manor house which preceded it was known to be a centre of musical performance in Trondheim. Since Palmehaven was established (1918) it has became the Trondheim's social hub. Throughout the years the room has played host to many a glamorous event, become the home of regular traditions and is considered the city's social parlour... with its grand piano playing the soundtrack to many a memorable occasion.

The Schimmel which used to stand in the palm court is now located in the hotel's Tower Suite. The piano was played by musicians such as Benito ‘Beni’ Buoso, who entertained audiences in Palmehaven for over 50 years. When the hotel was renovated and reopened in 2019, the piano was updated with a Bechstein.

The hotel now employees two pianist; brothers Håvard and Bård Flatjord Netland. They share the responsibilities, playing for guests during lunch, Afternoon Tea and breakfast on a Sunday.

“Our grandparents used to come here, many years ago," explains Bård. "So we understand the tradition of the room, and the Norwegian and Scandinavian music which would have been played here over the years. And also tunes form the 'American Songbook'. Our job is to let people understand and also feel the history while they are here.”

Bård was 'recruited' by Håvard, his older brother, who started working in Palmehaven right after the hotel reopened in 2019. Håvard had previously performed music for theatre and an array of events, as well as teaching music. His inspiration is from jazz and popular music from the 1970's.

"David Foster, the Canadian composer and producer, is big influence," explains Håvard, Britannia's lead pianist. "The real joy for me of performing in this room (Palmehaven) is that I get to share music on an almost daily basis. To communicate music, set the mood of the room… it’s a really big pleasure. I can take advantage of my interest in many types of music. You can do jazz here, classical and also some Broadway tunes. You can really dig into many genres, exploring many timeless pieces. For a piano player this is fantastic!”

Håvard, and now Bård's, musical prowess has come be an integral part of the Palmehaven experience. The ever-popular Afternoon Tea concept in the famous hall would not be the same without the performances of the two brothers, who are so well tuned to the room's ambience that they say they can "feel the energy adjust the music accordingly."

“We do not want to take too much focus from the food and the service. In some instances I might take a piece of classical music and strip it out to be more like chamber music, avoiding the full crescendos and so on. We adapt the pieces to the dynamic of the room," explains Håvard.

You can also see Håvard play the piano on stage in Palmehaven this Christmas, as part of our in-house jazz trio, who will be performing as part of our julebord season. Whatever the occasion, you can be sure the service, the food, the drinks, the ambience and, not forgetting, the music, will all be playing in perfect harmony.