Eldbjorg

Originally, this album was intended to be Eldbjorg Hemsing’s recording debut, but the repertoire interest in what became her debut (Borgstrom and Shostakovich) swayed the label and they changed the plan accordingly. Rarely has a recording debut had the impact of Eldbjorg’s debut album, and she has since been catapulted into international awareness in a very short time. On this release, we have more standard repertoire, no less well played and beautifully accompanied by the Antwerp Symphony Orchestra (previously the Royal Flemish Symphony Orchestra) under Alan Buribayev. This is the second record in a projected long series. A champion of Norway’s rich musical tradition, Eldbjorg Hemsing has been performing on some of the world’s most prestigious stages since age 11, when she made her solo debut with the Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra. Her violin playing represents a unique blend of classic Viennese sound, drawn from her lessons with Boris Kuschnier; a contemporary sensibility absorbed through numerous projects with the Oscar-winning composer Tan Dun; and a deep affinity with her Scandinavian heritage that she proudly showcases in every aspect of her active musical life.

Cool Norway seems to be the most efficient hothouse for new talents in Europe in recent years. Vocalist Solveig Slettahjell is by no means a new talent, but only now is her third solo disc, with her Slow Motion Quintet, being distributed outside of Norway. Slettahjell was a student of renowned Norwegian vocalist Sidsel Endresen, with whom she collaborated recently in Jon Balke's Batagraf ensemble (Statements, ECM, 2005). She recorded with the experimental all-female vocal quartet Kvitretten, with jazz singers Eldbjørg Raknes, Kristin Asbjörnsen and Tone Åse, and teaches jazz singing at the Norwegian Academy of Music.