Bent Åserud

{{Short description|Norwegian musician and film score composer}}

Bent Åserud (born 5 April 1950) is a Norwegian musician and film score composer.{{cite web |url=http://www.rockipedia.no/Vault.aspx?entity=210537 |title=Bøhren & Åserud |publisher=Rockheim |language=Norwegian |accessdate=19 March 2012 |archivedate=19 March 2012 |archiveurl=https://archive.today/20120319105606/http://www.rockipedia.no/Vault.aspx?entity=210537 |url-status=dead }}

Åserud co-founded the group Juniper Greene in 1966, where he was a vocalist and played the guitar. The band started playing blues but later changed to progressive rock. It signed its first record contract in 1971.{{cite news |url=http://www.nrk.no/kultur-og-underholdning/1.859572 |title=Fantastiske "Friendship" |last=Ose |first=Bård |last2=Gjersøe |first2=Jørn |work=Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation |date=28 August 2003 |language=Norwegian |accessdate=19 March 2012 |archivedate=14 September 2012 |archiveurl=https://archive.today/20120914022250/http://www.nrk.no/kultur-og-underholdning/1.859572 |url-status=live }} He graduated from the Norwegian Academy of Music in Oslo in 1977.

Along with Geir Bøhren, Åserud had his breakthrough as a film score composer for Orion's Belt with the theme Svalbardtema,Skagen: 32 which has become an unofficial anthem for Svalbard.Skagen: 34 With this score, they won the Amanda Award for best scoreSkagen: 196 and the Film Critics' Award.{{cite web |url=http://www.filmkritikerlaget.no/om/28/48 |title=Lagets priser |publisher=Filmkritikerlaget |language=Norwegian |accessdate=18 March 2012 |archivedate=10 May 2012 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120510200055/http://www.filmkritikerlaget.no/om/28/48 |url-status=dead }} The duo continued to work closely with director Ola Solum, for which they made the score for nearly all his later works. Åserud created, along with Bøhren, the official anthem for the 1994 Winter Olympics. He has won the 1999 Spellemannsprisen for the record Jul i Blåfjell.