Pianist, composer and organist Runa Viggen has announced the upcoming release of her sophomore album “Open Plains”, a singularly powerful and adventurous journey through a rich mosaic of interconnected genres and themes. Listeners can expect a rousing mixture of jazz, fusion, classical and progressive rock all connecting in pure unison. Every note feels deeply intentional and absolutely necessary. Conceptually, Runa is reaching for the sacred beyond the limitations we place on ourselves. She seeks nothing less than pure alchemy and trusts the human spirit’s ability to make it so.
“Open Plains” is composed from a conceptual idea of a healing journey, a walk through trauma and old patterns of pain and limitations and towards freedom and strength. The opening track, Amaranth, has the title of a mythical and never fading flower, a symbol of immortality. The last track, Rubicon, comes from the phrase “crossing the Rubicon” and means “passing a point of no return”. So, in between that I`m trying to tell a story of healing, and how music can transform pain and trauma to beauty and strength.”
“When I started this project a few years back I wanted to compose music without considering the rules of the different genres and just mix all the subgenres that I love. Classical, rock, jazz etc and find a way to make them work together. I don`t wanna be locked into an idea of what it should sound like or what`s correct – I want to breathe freely through my music and to throw in different ideas, inspirations and genres without worrying about which category to fit in to. I`m definitely taking it one step further prog rock with this album though. I feel like I`ve managed to find my own unique musical expression with this project.”
Stream “Open Plains” on Spotify.
More Info:
Artist Name: Runa Viggen
Location: Oslo / Los Angeles
Release Title: Open Plains
Release Date: February 12th, 2026
Label: Independent
Musician Names/Instruments: Runa Viggen (piano, composer), Larry Steen (bass), Chris Wabich (drums).
Producer Name(s): Runa Viggen
Genre(s): Prog /fusion / jazz
Tracklisting:
1. Amaranth
2. Ursa Minor
3. Bury Me Standing
4. Old Fields of War
5. The Tears of My Mother
6. Rayan
7. Rubicon
Websites:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/runa.viggentaksdal
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/runa_viggen/
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/2jChq441jHJnkjY1HMMDV2?si=glgpIQXSQSC2CVGJdxxpEA
Youtube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCSZwojKv6xVhlRzr4zKgJTA
Artist Contact Email: runataksdal@gmail.com
Artist Biography:
I`m a pianist, composer and organist, originally from Norway. I started this project a few years back and released the first album in 2022, under the name Runa Viggen Trio. The first album “ambar” gained some good reviews and attention back in Norway, and we played lots of jazz festivals and clubs around the country. The genre -crossing and my love of blending elements from different musical styles to create something new was well received, and it also certainly made some confusion regarding bookings and where to place us on the musical map – which I find amusing and even more inspiring! I`m making the music I love. I`ve played a lot of classical piano, and I love jazz (Keith Jarrett is my hero) and I also love progressive music and types of rock and metal. So I was thinking, why put any limitations to it? I`m trying to be completely open-minded in the composing process and just throw in the elements and inspirations that come to mind. The first album opened lots of doors for me and I decided to move the making of the next one to Los Angeles, as I`ve been traveling back and forth for a while. I got in touch with Larry Steen and Chris Wabich and got the onboard for this project, and I`m beyond lucky and grateful to be working with such wonderful musicians.