Alterhaug was born in Mo i Rana, Norway. He is one of the grand masters among European bassplayers and has been leading an international career in jazz since the late 1960s. He has played and worked with a great number of international greats such as Lee Konitz, Warne Marsh, Chet Baker, Thorgeir Stubø, Joe Henderson, Lucky Thompson, Sheila Jordan, Vigleik Storaas, Karin Krog, John Surman, Ben Webster and Clark Terry. He continues to lead his post as a professor at the Institute of Music at Norges Teknisk-Naturvitenskapelige Universitet in Trondheim, Norway and has taught on the Jazz programme there since the start in 1979.
Honors
Buddyprisen 1975
Rana municipality Culture Prize 1975
This year's jazz musicians in Norway 1975 .
Spellemannprisen 1980 in the class jazz for the album Moments (1979)
Gammleng-prisen 1989
Sør-Trøndelag County Culture Prize, together with John Pål Inderberg 2011
Solo albums
Moments - (1979)
A Ballad - (1986)
Some Other Time, with Bjørn Johansen, Frode Thingnæs, Laila Dalseth, Ole Jacob Hansen and Egil Kapstad - (1991)
Constellations - (1991)
Steps Toward's a Dream, with Lee Konitz, John Pål Inderberg and Erling Aksdal Jr. - (1995)
With Bjørn Alterhaug Quintet
Songlines (Ponca Jazz Records) - (2009)
Innocent Play (Ponca Jazz Records) - (2014)
Collaborations
Østerdalsmusikk, with Various Artists - (1975)
Selena, with Ketil Bjørnstad - (1977)
Til jorden, with Rolf Jacobsen and Egil Kapstad - (1979)
Snjóuglan, with Snjóuglan - (1979)
Frency only, with Åge Aleksandersen and Sambandet - (1979)
Friends, with Kapstad-Johansens Quartet - (1980)
Notice, with Thorgeir Stubø - (1981)
Drøbak kassetten 1981, with Various Artists - (1981)
Live at Jazz Alive, with Thorgeir Stubø - (1983)
Norsk Jazz 1960-1980, with Various Artists - (1983)
Veintetid, with Tove Karoline Knutsen - (1984)
Epilog, with Egil Kapstad - (1985)
For a Small Planet, with Trondheim Kammerkor - (1987)
For the Time Being, with Warne Marsh - (1988)
Fuglar, with Noble Noise - (1989)
Blackbird, with Siri's Svale Band - (1990)
The Jazz Sampler Vol. 2, with Various Artists - (1991)
New Church Music from Nidaros Cathedral, with Various Artists - (1993)
Remembrance, with Egil Kapstad Trio - (1993)
Norske bilder - (1993)
Pot's On, with Asmund Bjørken Sextet feat. Jan Erik Kongshaug - (1993)
A Woman's Intuition, with Laila Dalseth - (1995)
Min vemods fryd, with Jan Henrik Henriksen - (1996)
Jazz Out of Norway, with Various Artists - (1996)
Plays Norwegian Music, with Arctic Guitar Trio - (1996)
Gemini - (1997)
Notice/Live at Jazz Alive, with Thorgeir Stubø - (1997)
Necessarily So..., with Siri's Svale Band - (1997)
Over at Ola's, with Kevin Dean Quintet - (1997)
Norsk tonekunst i kontraster, with Embla - (1998)
Night Birds, with Totti Bergh - (1998)
Gemini and Taurus - (1998)
Round Chet's Midnight, with Hilde Hefte - (1999)
Oslo Jazz Circle 50 år - (1999)
Double Circle, with Ivar Antonsen - (1999)
One of a Kind, with Laila Dalseth - (2000)
Man, Woman and Child, with Tore Johansen - (2000)
Early Years, with Ketil Bjørnstad - (2000)
First Song, with Bodil Niska - (2000)
Pictures, with Equilibrium - (2001)
Playsong - (2001)
Distant Reports - (2001)
Advenio, with Vokal Nord - (2003)
Hildes Bossahefte, with Hilde Hefte - (2003)
Bjørn Johansen in Memoriam, with Various Artists - (2003)
Wolfvoices, with Maiken Mathisen Schau - (2003)
The Next Step, with Jon Larsen - (2003)
Foot Prints - (2003)
Wistful, with Hallgeir Pedersen Trio - (2004)
Django Festival 3, with Various Artists - (2004)
Blue, with Bodil Niska - (2004)
Jazz Collection 1, with Various Artists - (2005)
Like That, with Karin Krog and Tore Johansen - (2005)
Sval draum, with John Pål Inderberg - (2005)
Bluero, with Hallgeir Pedersen Trio - (2006)
My Funny Valentine, with Chet Baker - (2006)
On the Corner, with Hilde Hefte - (2006)
Jazzsnadder, with Various Artists - (2007)
Live in Oslo, with Lee Konitz and John Pål Inderberg - (2007)
An Evening in Prague, with Hilde Hefte and The City of Prague Philharmonic Orchestra - (2007)
Oslo Calling, with Karin Krog - (2008)
Veckan 44, with Norsk/Svensk Cool Sextet - (2008)
Arctic Bird, with Kjell Bartholsen - (2008)
A Portrait of Jon Larsen, with Jon Larsen - (2009)
Åge-boks 1, with Åge Aleksandersen - (2009)
Black is the Color of My True Love's Hair, with Various Artists - (2009)
Q (2009), with Henning Gravrok - (2009)
Flight - (2010)
Piano Pals (Ponca Jazz Records), with Oddbjørn Blindheim Trio - (2014)
Songs
Christmas Song for Children of Thelonius MonkA Ballad · 2004 Bass means LoveA Ballad · 2004 Innocent PlayInnocent Play · 2014
