Eldbjørg Hemsing

Inspired by her Scandinavian heritage, violinist Eldbjørg Hemsing is devoted to programming and performing works by Norwegian composers, as well as the standard repertoire. Hemsing took up the violin at age five, and entered the Barratt Due Institute of Music in Oslo when she was seven. There, she studied with Alf Richard Kraggerud and Stephan Barratt-Due. Hemsing began performing in public at 11 when she made her debut with the Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra. She also studied with Boris Kuschnir in Vienna. Hemsing has competed internationally, winning the audience prize at the Verbier Festival, along with awards from the Virtuosi Competition in Norway and the Eurovision Young Musicians in 2008. With her sister, Ragnhild Hemsing, she won the Golden Rose award at the Rose d'Or Festival in Lucerne for their performance in the Norwegian National Broadcasting Company's documentary on the life of Ole Bull. She has performed at many music festivals, including chamber music programs at the International Chamber Music Festival in Oslo, the Verbier Festival, the Bellerive Festival, the Bad Kissingen and AlpenKlassik festivals, as well as the Nordic Cool Festival in Washington, D.C. A guest soloist with many orchestras, Hemsing has given concerts in Germany, Ireland, the Netherlands, the Czech Republic, and Hong Kong. Hemsing has worked with composer Tan Dun, performing his concertos The Love, The Hero, The Triple Resurrection, and The Fire Rituals. Hemsing's interest in Norwegian music led her to record the neglected Violin Concerto in G major of late-Romantic composer Hjalmar Borgström, which she recorded with Olari Elts and the Vienna Symphony Orchestra on BIS.