Piano Accompanists
Lina Braaten
Lina Braaten studied at
the Norwegian Academy of Music in Oslo. She has won prizes for
chamber music and as a solo pianist. Lina has performed solo with
the Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra, at the Ultima Festival in Oslo
and in Tokyo during the Grieg jubilee in 2007. Lina is in great
demand as an accompanist and has held positions at the Norwegian
Academy of Music and the Barratt Due Music Institute.
Gunnar Flagstad
Gunnar
Flagstad studied piano at the Eastern Norway Music Conservatory and
the Norwegian State Academy of Music. He is now an associate
professor of accompaniment at the Norwegian State Academy of Music
and at the Barratt Due Music Institute in Oslo. Flagstad has taken
a special interest in playing chamber music and is frequently used
as an accompanist for singers and string players. He has
played at major Norwegian music festivals such as Bergen
International Music Festival, Hardanger Music Festival and Oslo
Chamber Music Festival. He also tours regurlarly with the Norwegian
Concert Institute.
Mikael Holmlund
Mikael Holmlund
studied piano at the Norwegian State Academy of Music with Jens
Harald Bratlie, and Einar Steen-Nøkleberg. He has won
prizes in a number of international piano
competitions. Mikael has performed solo with the
Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra, Royal Stockholm Philharmonic
Orchestra, English Chamber Orchestra, Norrbottens Youth Symphony
Orchestra and given concerts throughout Europe, Russia and the USA.
He has performed in a number of radio and
television broadcasts and recorded two CDs with the Polish-Swedish
singer Ania Winek-Albertsson.
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Chamber Music Accompanists
Senior Semi-Finals - Beethoven quartet
The accompanists are all members of the acclaimed Vertavo String Quartet. The Vertavo Quartet won the 1st prize, Audience' prize, Critic's prize and the Radio listener's Award in the Melbourne International Chamber Music competition, as well as 1st prize in the Nordic Chamber Music Competition and the Grieg Prize of Norway.
Berit Cardas, 2nd violin
Berit Cardas studied violin with Leif Jørgensen,Oslo, Jens
Ellermann in Hannover and with Almita and Roland Vamos in
Minneapolis. Other great influences where the string quartet
teachers Norbert Brainin and Hatto Beyerle. As a founder member of
the Vertavo Quartet, chamber music has always been Cardas' musical
passion and she has performed in the major halls of America, Europe
and Australia. Berit Cardas has been a leader of the Norwegian
Chamber orchestra, and performed as a soloist with major
Scandinavian orchestras. She is also a renowned pedagogue in Norway
and has great success with a chamber music teaching method that
includes theatre sport, improvisations and huge amounts of
humour.
Henninge Landaas, viola
Henninge Landaas studied at the Trondheim Music Conservatory and
the Norwegian Academy of Music. In 1996 she graduated on both
violin and viola with highest honors. Henninge Landaas was a member
of the Trondheim Solists from its founding in 1987. She has had
solo performances with major ensembles including the Oslo
Philharmonic Orchestra and the Trondheim Symphony Orchestra. She
was the principal viola of the Norwegian Chamber Orchestra. From
1996-2000 and from 2009 she has the position as co/principal viola
with the Oslo Philharmonic Orchestra. In 1994 she became a member
of the Vertavo String Quartet. Henninge Landaas plays a J. B.
Guadagnini viola on loan from Dextra Musica.
Bjørg Værnes Lewis, cello
Bjørg Værnes Lewis has studied with Frans Helmersson and Mstislav
Rostropovich and received her Soloist diploma in Stockholm in 1991.
Bjørg Lewis has collaborated with musicians such as Leif Ove
Andsnes, Jean-Yves Thibaudet, Truls Mørk, Steven Isserlis, Håkan
Hardenberger, Martin Frost and Paul Lewis. She has been a soloist
with the Oslo Philharmonic Orchestra. She is a founder member of
the acclaimed Vertavo String Quartet who perform regularly on
German and Austrian Radio and BBC Radio 3. The quartet's CD
recordings have received the Diapason d'Or and the Grammy awards of
Scandinavia. Vertavos have been the Artistic Directors of the
Elverum Festival in Norway and together with husband Paul Lewis,
Bjørg is Artistic Director of the new Midsummer Music Festival near
London.
Junior Finals part 1 - Dvorak Trio
Anders Nilsson, 2nd violin
Anders Kjellberg Nilsson (b.1983) is one of the most active young
Norwegian violinists today. He studied at the Hochschule für Musik
"Hans Eisler" in Berlin, the Edsberg Institute in Stockholm and
received his soloist diploma at the Norwegian Academy of Music.
Nilsson has won the Princess Astrids Music Prize and the Concert
Norways Intro-classical programme. Besides a solo career and
performances with all Norwegian symphony orchestras he is a very
active chamber musician, ensemble leader and recording artist
Ida Bryhn, viola
Ida Bryhn studied at the Barratt Due’s Music Institute in Oslo, the
Edsberg’s Music Institute in Stockholm and the New England
Conservatory of Music in Boston. She completed her Artist Diploma
at the Norwegian Academy of Music in Oslo and was awarded the Shell
Prize in 2008. A passionate chamber musician, Ms. Bryhn has
collaborated with national and international musicians including
Leif Ove Andsnes, Ilya Gringolds and Oleg Kogan and played at a
several Norwegian and European festivals. Ida Bryhn is principal
viola player with the Norwegian Chamber Orchestra, the Oslo
Philharmonic Orchestra, the New England Conservatory’s Philharmonia
Orchestra and the Edsberg’s Chamber Orchestra.