Violin
Ragnhild Hemsing stands out among Norway’s rising stars as a remarkably poised artist. Her unique upbringing, deeply immersed in the rich folk music traditions of Norway, has enabled her to become one of the first artists to merge successfully the instantly identifiable characteristics of Norwegian folk and classical performance in a young, fresh and entirely contemporary manner.
She supplements her extensive repertoire of standard solo classicalworks for violin with more unusual and complex pieces written for the Hardanger fiddle. She also actively seeks out opportunities to perform works by contemporary Norwegian composers who specifically draw on folk traditions in their music. Ragnhild’s most notable contemporary collaboration is her work with the young Norwegian choreographer Hallgrim Hansegård. Together they have performed YR by Norwegian composer Lasse Thoresen throughout Norway and Ragnhild has recorded this work for Simax (PSC 1315), a CD which has received rave reviews from critics.
In June 2012, Ragnhild Hemsing made her debut at the Feldkirch Festival in Austria, performing with the Nordic Symphony Orchestra under Anu Tali. February 2012 saw another successful debut, this time with the Estonian National Symphony Orchestra under the baton of Neeme Järvi. With maestro Järvi and the Bergen Philharmonic she has recorded Halvorsen’s Fossegrimen suite for Chandos which was critically acclaimed by the critics. Just a few days after Feldkirch she made her debuts with the Residentie Orkest, and she will return to both the Bergen Philharmonic and the Bergen International Festival. Recent debuts included the Minnesota Orchestra conducted by Andrew Litton and the Cheltenham Festival.
Ragnhild has been the recipient of many prizes, including First Prize and European Union Prize at the Kocian International Violin Competition, First Prize and Special Prize at the 2003 European Music Prize for Youth, as well as winning all of Norway’s major youth competitions.
Ragnhild was born in 1988 into the heart of the Norwegian folk region of Valdres. She began to play the violin at the age of five and, showing exceptional talent, was invited to enrol at the prestigious Barratt Due Institute of Music in Oslo at the age of nine. Ragnhild is currently studying in Vienna with Professor Boris Kuschnir.
Ragnhild Hemsing plays a Francesco Ruggeri violin made in Cremona in 1694 on generous loan from the Dextra Musica Foundation.
Violinist Eldbjørg Hemsing has established herself as one of the foremost young Scandinavian instrumentalists and, despite her young age, she has already performed with all of Norway’s leading orchestras including the Oslo Philharmonic Orchestra, the Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra and the Stavanger Symphony Orchestra. Internationally, she has appeared with the Shanghai Philharmonic Orchestra, the Norrköping Symphony Orchestra, the Zurich Chamber Orchestra, the Czech National Symphony Orchestra and the Ashland Symphony Orchestra (USA), in addition to making several appearances with the Ukrainian National Philharmonic Orchestra.
Eldbjørg Hemsing has developed a close partnership with renowned composer and conductor Tan Dun. In 2013 she was invited by Tan Dun to perform his Hero Concerto with the Netherlands Symphony Orchestra as well as to perform Hero Concerto and his new composition The Triple Resurrection in both Leipzig with the MDR Leipzig Radio Symphony Orchestra and Shanghai with the Shanghai Philharmonic Orchestra. In 2010, she premiered Tan Dun’s violin concerto The Love with the Trondheim Symphony Orchestra in the Far East at the 2010 World Expo.
Upcoming engagements for the 2013-14 season include a concert with the Norwegian Radio Orchestra and concerts with the Trondheim Soloists in Russia, the Czech Republic, Denmark and Norway. She will be performing in Germany with the Staatstheater Orchestra in Kassel as well as the NDR Radio Orchestra in Hannover. She has also been invited back to the Czech National Symphony Orchestra. She will be giving recitals in Norway and Ukraine.
She regularly performs in duets together with her sister Ragnhild, also a violinist. Recently they played Bruch’s Double Concerto with the orchestras of the Staatstheater Kassel and the Mecklenburgisches Staatstheater Schwerin.
Eldbjørg Hemsing has performed during State visits for King Harald of Norway.
Born in Valdres (Norway) in 1990, Eldbjørg Hemsing started playing the violin at the age of five and studied at the prestigious Barratt Due Institute of Music in Oslo as well as with the renowned Professor Boris Kuschnir in Vienna.
Eldbjørg Hemsing plays a Giovanni Battista Guadagnini violin from 1754 on generous loan from the Dextra Musica Foundation.
With her keen interest in Norwegian art, Eldbjørg Hemsing has collaborated with such acclaimed designers such as Nina Skarra and Hege Kristiansen.
