Eldbjørg Hemsing

Eldbjørg Hemsing
Background information
Born (1990-02-16) 16 February 1990
Valdres, Oppland
OriginNorway
GenresClassical music
OccupationViolinist
Instruments1707 "Rivaz, Baron Gutmann" Stradivari violin, Hardanger fiddle
Years active1996–present
LabelSony Classical Records
Websitewww.eldbjorghemsing.com

Eldbjørg Hemsing (born 16 February 1990) is a Norwegian violinist known for her interpretations of both classical and contemporary repertoire. She has premiered numerous works by composers such as Tan Dun[1] and Anders Hillborg and has performed at international venues, including the Nobel Peace Prize Ceremony[2][3] and the United Nations.[4] Hemsing has released several recordings and is involved in initiatives promoting classical music to broader audiences. She is the younger sister of the Norwegian violinist Ragnhild Hemsing.[5]

Early life and education

Born in Valdres, Norway, Hemsing began playing the violin at the age of five. Her mother, Bente Hemsing, was also a violinist and became her first teacher.[6]

Hemsing performed for the Norwegian royal family by the age of six.[7] At seven-years-old, she was accepted into the Barratt Due Institute of Music in Oslo, where she studied under Alf Richard Kraggerud and Stephan Barratt-Due.[8] She later trained with Professor Boris Kuschnir. In 2012, she performed at the Nobel Peace Prize Concert in Oslo.[1]

Career

Hemsing has performed with orchestras such as the Oslo Philharmonic, Vienna Symphony, MDR Leipzig Radio Symphony Orchestra, and Shanghai Philharmonic Orchestra.[9] She has appeared at venues including Lincoln Center, Kennedy Center, Wigmore Hall, and the National Centre for the Performing Arts in Beijing.[9]

She maintains a close collaboration with composer Tan Dun, performing his Hero Concerto with the Netherlands Symphony Orchestra and the MDR Leipzig Radio Symphony Orchestra.[10] She premiered his Triple Resurrection Concerto in Leipzig and Shanghai with the Shanghai Philharmonic Orchestra.[10] In 2010, she premiered Tan Dun's violin concerto The Love with the Trondheim Symphony Orchestra at the World Expo in Shanghai. She also premiered his The Fire Rituals[11] with the Chinese National Orchestra at the National Centre for the Performing Arts (China).[12][13]

In 2021, she recorded Anders Hillborg’s Violin Concerto No. 2 and Liquid Marble with the Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra under Esa-Pekka Salonen; the album was released in 2024 and won the Spellemannprisen for Classical Music that year.[14]

In 2023, Hemsing released Arctic with the Arctic Philharmonic and conductor Christian Kluxen, a project highlighting the natural soundscapes of the Arctic region. The album received the Opus Klassik Award in the "Classic without Limits".[15]

Her discography also includes a 2020 recording of Edvard Grieg’s Violin Sonatas with pianist Simon Trpčeski, featuring her own composition "Homecoming," which won the Spellemannprisen for Classical Music in 2020.[14]

In 2022, she signed with Sony Classical,[16] and later, in 2024, she was signed by Epstein Fox Performances.[17]

Projects and advocacy

Hemsing co-founded Hemsing Festival in Valdres,[9] and serves as artistic director of SPIRE,[9] a mentoring program for young artists. She is also a senior artistic advisor for the Advisory Board for the Arts.[9]

Instrument

Hemsing plays a 1707 Antonio Stradivari violin, known as the "Rivaz, Baron Gutmann," on loan from the Dextra Musica Foundation.[18] She also plays the traditional Norwegian Hardanger fiddle.[19]

Notable recordings

Hemsing's recording of a violin concerto by Hjalmar Borgstrøm with Wiener Symphoniker, directed by Olari Elts, was released worldwide by BIS in 2018,[1] and included performances by Norwegian Arctic Philharmonic Orchestra (conductor Christian Lindberg); Szczecin Philharmonic (conductor Rune Bergmann); Bergen International Festival in Norway; and Paavo Järvi's Pärnu Festival in Estonia.[20]

In 2020, Hemsing released a recording of Edvard Grieg’s Violin Sonatas with pianist Simon Trpčeski. The album also featured her own composition, Homecoming, and was awarded the 2020 Spellemannprisen in the Classical Music category.[21]

In 2023, she released an album, Arctic, recorded with the Arctic Philharmonic and Christian Kluxen.[17][22] The album won the Opus Klassik Award in the category Classic without Limits.[17]

In 2021, Hemsing recorded Anders Hillborg’s Violin Concerto No. 2 and Liquid Marble with the Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Esa-Pekka Salonen. The album was released in 2024 and received the Spellemannprisen in the Classical Music category the same year.[23][24]

Discography

Albums

Singles

Competitions and awards

Hemsing received third prize in Eurovision Young Musicians 2008.[32] Hemsing is also a two time Spellemannprisen award winner. She first won in 2020 for her recordings of the Grieg Sonatas, which she released with pianist Simon Trpčeski. She won again in 2024[33] for her album Hillborg: Violin Concerto No. 2/Liquid Marble. Her 2023 album Arctic received the Opus Klassik Award in the category Classic without Limits.[17]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Schmidt, Hannah (14 March 2018). "Von einer Frau, die das Idyll verließ". Die Zeit (in German). Hamburg. Retrieved 21 January 2019.
  2. ↑ "Nobel Peace Prize Concert 2021". www.snohetta.com. Retrieved 26 April 2025.
  3. ↑ "Nobel Peace Prize Concert 2021". ofo.no. Retrieved 26 April 2025.
  4. ↑ "The Classical Station's interview with Eldbjorg Hemsing for Preview! | The Classical Station". theclassicalstation.org. 24 March 2023. Retrieved 26 April 2025.
  5. ↑ "Ragnhild and Eldbjørg Hemsing". Мариинский театр – Официальный сайт. Retrieved 29 November 2020.
  6. ↑ "Interview: Musical Journey to the Arctic with Violinist Eldbjørg Hemsing". Violinist.com. Retrieved 26 April 2025.
  7. ↑ Horne, Birte Njøsen (14 October 2006). "Hemsing-søstrene". NRK (in Norwegian Bokmål). Retrieved 19 January 2025.
  8. ↑ "Alf Richard Kraggerud". en.zhmozart.org. Retrieved 19 January 2025.
  9. 1 2 3 4 5 "Eldbjørg Hemsing". www.sonyclassical.com. Retrieved 26 April 2025.
  10. 1 2 "Eldbjørg Hemsing - Internationaal Kamermuziek Festival Ede 2018". www.kamermuziekfestivalede.nl. Retrieved 19 January 2025.
  11. 1 2 Hanusiak, Xenia (26 September 2018). "Dun Links Ancient, Modern Worlds In New Violin Work". Classical Voice North America. Retrieved 21 January 2019.
  12. ↑ "Tan Dun". Klassik Heute (in German). Retrieved 29 November 2020.
  13. ↑ "Förderung". Göhde Foundation (in German). 16 June 2020. Retrieved 29 November 2020.
  14. 1 2 "Spellemann - Arkiv over alle nominerte og vinnere fram til i dag!". spellemann.no (in Norwegian Bokmål). 2 September 2019. Retrieved 26 April 2025.
  15. ↑ "Eldbjørg Hemsing performs at OPUS KLASSIK concert, in Norway and Iceland | HarrisonParrott". www.harrisonparrott.com. 2 October 2023. Retrieved 26 April 2025.
  16. ↑ Channel, The Violin (17 December 2021). "Violinist Eldbjørg Hemsing Signs with Sony Classical". World's Leading Classical Music Platform. Retrieved 18 February 2025.
  17. 1 2 3 4 "Violinist Eldbjørg Hemsing signs with Epstein Fox Performances". The Strad. 21 February 2024. Retrieved 18 February 2025.
  18. ↑ "About". www.eldbjorgmusic.com. Retrieved 26 April 2025.
  19. ↑ "Violinist Eldbjørg Hemsing; 'in the moments when magic happens, you think, that's why we do this'". theartsdesk.com. Retrieved 29 September 2019.
  20. ↑ "Eldbjørg Hemsing". EPSTEIN FOX PERFORMANCES. Retrieved 8 January 2025.
  21. ↑ "Spellemann - Arkiv over alle nominerte og vinnere fram til i dag!". spellemann.no (in Norwegian Bokmål). 2 September 2019. Retrieved 8 May 2026.
  22. ↑ "CD Spotlight: Arctic by Eldbjørg Hemsing". WXXI News. 17 March 2023. Retrieved 18 February 2025.
  23. ↑ "Eldbjørg Hemsing & Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra & Esa-Pekka Salonen - Hillborg: Violin Concerto No. 2 / Liquid Marble | CD". www.sonyclassical.com. Retrieved 8 May 2026.
  24. ↑ "Spellemann - Arkiv over alle nominerte og vinnere fram til i dag!". spellemann.no (in Norwegian Bokmål). 2 September 2019. Retrieved 8 May 2026.
  25. ↑ OCLC 970825005
  26. ↑ Hemsing, Eldbjørg; Buribayev, Alan; Koncz, Stephan; Dvořák, Antonín; Suk, Josef; Antwerp Symphony Orchestra (2018), Violin concerto (in no linguistic content), Åkersberga, Sweden: BIS, OCLC 1223045512
  27. ↑ Epic Orchestra - New Sound of Classical by NDR Radiophilharmonie on Apple Music, 14 February 2020, retrieved 8 May 2026
  28. ↑ "Grieg*, Eldbjørg Hemsing, Simon Trpčeski – The Violin Sonatas". Discogs. Retrieved 2 March 2025.
  29. ↑ "GBH Music presents violinist Eldbjørg Hemsing – Live at GBH". GBH. Retrieved 15 February 2024.
  30. ↑ "Arctic (Eldbjørg Hemsing)". Classical Music. 21 February 2023. Retrieved 8 May 2026.
  31. ↑ Wu Wei, Eldbjørg Hemsing, Ida Nielsen, Stavanger Symphony Orchestra & Andris Poga - Rolf Wallin: Five Seasons; Whirld; Stride; Spirit, retrieved 8 May 2026
  32. ↑ "Eurovision Young Musicians 2008 | Eurovision Young Musicians – Cologne 2016". 5 August 2016. Archived from the original on 5 August 2016. Retrieved 29 September 2019.
  33. ↑ "Vinnere - 2024 - Spellemann". spellemann.no (in Norwegian Bokmål). 28 April 2020. Retrieved 25 April 2025.
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