MARIANNE THORSEN - violin
MARIANNE THORSEN violin
New
Marianne Thorsen
Recording
with Trondheim Symphony Orchestra / Nick Davies
2L-173-SABD
Marianne Thorsen spiller herlig, med god og feit tone, og overlegent overskudd der hun virkelig lener seg inn i musikken.
Marianne Thorsen plays beautifully, with a good and bold tone, and superior energy where she really leans into the music.
Ballade.no
New CD / Digital Release:
Marianne’s recording of
Ståle Kleiberg’s Violin Concerto Nr. 2 with Trondheim Symphony Orchestra / Peter Szilvay on 2L.
Recording Kleiberg at Olavshallen, Norway on a Giovanni Battista Guadagnini from 1745 kindly on loan from the Dextra Musica Foundation.
There are magic moments galore along the way, but to hear Marianne Thorsen (ravishing portamentos) soar aloft with the pulsating phrases is an unforgettable experience.
INTERNATIONAL RECORD REVIEW
Dazzlingly violinistic and brilliantly played. THE SUNDAY TIMES, LONDON Engagingly fleet-fingered, sweet-toned, mellifluous performances, topped off with perfect cadenzas.CLASSIC FM MAGAZINE
Searing tone and rhythmic dash - it would be hard to imagine more compelling performances.THE SUNDAY TIMES, LONDON
Beautifully sculpted phrasing, but she soon lets rip with broad G-string melodies dripping in luscious vibrato.
THE STRAD
Marianne Thorsen has a varied musical life as a performer and is one of Norway's leading violinists. A keen chamber musician, Marianne has performed with such eminent artists as Håvard Gimse, Lawrence Power, Marc-André Hamelin, Truls Mørk, Paul Lewis, Pascal Rogé, Paul Watkins, Lars Anders Tomter and Leif Ove Andsnes at the Norwegian festivals in Oslo, Bergen, Trondheim and Stavanger; and with the Nash Ensemble and Leopold String Trio at the BBC Proms in London and the Edinburgh, Bath and Cheltenham Festivals in the UK (live broadcasts for BBC Radio 3).
As a soloist, Marianne has performed with the Philharmonia Orchestra, BBC Symphony Orchestra, City of Birmingham Symphony, Orchestre de la Suisse Romande, all the Norwegian orchestras and many of the major orchestras in Scandinavia.
Marianne enjoys a regular collaboration with the Trondheim Soloists with whom she recorded Mozart's Violin Concertos 3, 4 and 5 for 2L to great critical acclaim, winning the Norwegian Spellemann prize in 2006. Her recording with the Trondheim Symphony Orchestra of Ståle Kleiberg's Violin Concerto no. 1, dedicated to her, received an American Grammy nomination in 2010; and Marianne gave the world premiere of Ketil Hvoslef's Violin Concerto, also dedicated to her, broadcast live on Norwegian national television (NRK) with the Oslo Philharmonic Orchestra / Vassily Sinaisky. 2011-2014 saw the release of five CDs of music by Halvorsen and Svendsen on the Chandos label, with Thorsen as soloist alongside the Bergen Philharmonic / Neeme Järvi, including Svendsen's Violin Concerto.
Marianne Thorsen was leader of the internationally renowned Nash Ensemble of London from 2000-2015 and a founder member of the Leopold String Trio from 1991-2006 with extensive tours throughout Europe, Australia and the USA and numerous recordings for Hyperion Records in London.
Recent highlights include Alban Berg’s Violin Concerto with the Norwegian Broadcasting Orchestra (KORK); recitals with the Norwegian pianist Håvard Gimse at the Bergen International Festival; the Oslo International Chamber Music Festival (with Radovan Vlatkovic, Liv Glaser and Håvard Gimse) and at the Edinburgh International Festival with the Nash Ensemble for BBC Radio 3 in August 2019. Marianne has just recorded Violin Concerto no. 2 by Ståle Kleiberg with the Trondheim Symphony Orchestra and Peter Szilvay – to be released on 2L in April 2021.
Marianne was Artistic Director of the Vinterfestspill festival in Røros, Norway from 2009-2013. Since 2006 she has been professor of violin at the Department of Music at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology in Trondheim.
Marianne plays on a Giovanni Battista Guadagnini from 1745, kindly on loan from the Dextra Musica Foundation.
Norwegian Biography
Kammermusikken er en sentral del av Marianne Thorsens utøvende virke. Hun har samarbeidet med blant andre Håvard Gimse, Lawrence Power, Marc-André Hamelin, Truls Mørk, Paul Lewis, Pascal Rogé, Paul Watkins, Lars Anders Tomter and Leif Ove Andsnes ved kammermusikkfestivalene i Oslo, Bergen, Trondheim og Stavanger; og med Nash Ensemble og Leopold String Trio ved BBC Proms i London og på Edinburgh, Bath og Cheltenham festivalene (for BBC Radio 3) i Storbritannia.
Marianne har opptrådt som solist med BBC Symphony, Philharmonia (London), City of Birmingham Symphony, Orchestre de la Suisse Romande, og flere orkestre i Norge og Skandinavia.
Marianne vant Spellemannsprisen i 2006 for innspillinger av Mozart fiolinkonserter med Trondheimsolistene for 2L. En annen 2L-innspilling med Ståle Kleiberg fiolinkonsert nr. 1 med Trondheim Symfoniorkester, ble nominert til Grammy i 2010. Hun har urfremført Ketil Hvoslef fiolinkonsert med Vassily Sinaisky og Oslo-filharmonien, sendt direkte på NRK-TV. Marianne er solist på fem innspillinger med musikk av Halvorsen og Svendsen på Chandos, med Bergen Filharmoniske Orkester og Neeme Järvi (Svendsen fiolinkonsert m.m).
Marianne var spillende leder av Nash Ensemble of London fra 2000-2015 og Leopold String Trio fra 1991-2006, med en omfattende turnevirksomhet i Europa, Australia og USA og flertallige CD utgivelser på Hyperion Records, London.
Nylig var hun solist i Alban Berg fiolinkonsert med KORK, konserter med Håvard Gimse på Festspillene i Bergen; opptredener ved Oslo kammermusikkfestival (med Radovan Vlatkovic, Liv Glaser og Håvard Gimse) og på Edinburgh International Festival med Nash-ensemblet for BBC Radio 3 i august 2019. Marianne har nettopp spilt inn fiolinkonsert nr. 2 av Ståle Kleiberg med Trondheim Symfoniorkester og Peter Szilvay – innspillingen kommer ut på 2L i April 2021.
Marianne var kunstnerisk leder av Vinterfestspill på Røros fra 2009-2013. Siden 2006 har hun vært ansatt som professor i fiolin og kammermusikk ved NTNU Institutt for musikk.
Marianne spiller på en Giovanni Battista Guadagnini fra 1745, generøst stilt til disposisjon av Dextra Musica.
News 2023
Marianne was Guest Concertmaster of the Oslo Philharmonic / Andrew Manze (October '23) in performances of Mozart’s symphonies 39, 40 and 41.
Marianne Thorsen and Håvard Gimse in recital at the home of the celebrated Norwegian composer, Fartein Valen, in Haugesund, August 2023.
Marianne performed at Horten kammermusikkfest, Norway in June including Mendelssohn: String Octet and Mozart’s Clarinet Quintet.
New release - HENNING SOMMERRO: BORDERS VIOLIN CONCERTO with Trondheim Symphony Orchestra / Nick Davies (2L)
Marianne performed String Quintets by Mendelssohn (nr. 2) and Dvorak (nr. 3) on May 9th at Sentralen, Oslo for Dextra Musica. Alongside Atle Sponberg, violin, Catherine Bullock, viola, Julia Neher, viola and Øyvind Gimse, cello.
Marianne also led a performance of Tchaikovsky’s Souvenir de Florence, op 70 at Dextra’s Ode to Guadagnini concert at the National Museum, Oslo on 10th February 2023. With Atle Sponberg, Catherine Bullock-Bukkøy, Michael Grolid, Torleif Thedéen and Marcus Michelin.
The musicians performing on fine Giovanni Battista Guadagnini instruments kindly on loan from the Dextra Musica Foundation.
News 2022
Marianne performed Kleiberg: Violin Concerto No 2 with TrondheimSolistene at the Freemason’s Hall, Trondheim in September at the TRONDHEIM CHAMBER MUSIC FESTIVAL, Norway (also the opening concert of HYFER, NTNU’S KNOWLEDGE FESTIVAL).
Her recording of Ståle Kleiberg’s Concerto Nr. 2
with Trondheim Symphony Orchestra / Peter Szilvay on 2L was released in August last year.
Marianne performed on June 13th at the festival program presentation concert of the Trondheim kammermusikkfestival (www.kamfest.no), taking place between 18th – 25th September this year.
News 2021
Marianne performed at the Gudbrandsdal Musikkfest, Norway from 7th - 9th October, including Schubert’s Rondo Brillant
in B minor Op. 70 with Norwegian pianist, Sveinung Bjelland.
Marianne performed at the TRONDHEIM KAMMERMUSIKKFESTIVAL on Sept 19th – Nordheim: Partita für Paul
(solo violin and electronics) and Bartok’s Romanian Folk Dances
with pianist, Mona Spigseth.
New CD Release in August 2021: Marianne’s recording of Ståle Kleiberg’s Violin Concerto Nr. 2 with Trondheim Symphony Orchestra / Peter Szilvay on 2L.
On September 5th, Marianne performed at the Bergen Chamber Music Society – a recital with the acclaimed Norwegian musicians, pianist, Håvard Gimse and cellist, Øyvind Gimse including Dvořák’s Piano Trio No. 4 in E minor, Op. 90 (Dumky Trio).
In June, Marianne recorded a new concerto for violin and orchestra ‘Borders’ by Henning Sommero with the Trondheim Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Nick Davies. To be released on 2L in 2022.
Marianne performed at the Stavanger Chamber Music Festival from the 10th – 15th August including Brahms: Violin Sonata nr. 1 in G-dur op. 78 with pianist, Joachim Carr.
Marianne performed at the Oslo Chamber Music Festival on August 16th (recital with Øyvind Gimse, cello) and August 21st (recital with Håvard Gimse, piano).
Marianne performed at the Horten Chamber Music Festival near Oslo: 23rd to 27th June 2021 and chamber music on June 11th and 12th at Palko & Co on the island of Bru, Stavanger.
News 2020
Marianne Thorsen to perform Beethoven's 'Spring' Sonanta (1st movt.) with pianist Jørgen Larsen on the 22nd September at the Freemason Hall, Trondheim (Trondheim Chamber Music Festival) to celebrate the Hall's new Steinway piano. www.kamfest.no
Marianne to perform works by Beethoven, Hurum and Shostakovich with Christian Ihle Hadland, piano and Frida Fredrikke Waaler Wærvågen on October 14th at Holy Cross Church, Bergen (Korskirken) for the Bergen Chamber Music Society.
In February, Marianne Thorsen guest directed the Scottish Ensemble in performances of the Mendelssohn and Enescu String Octets at Perth Concert Hall on Monday 3rd, Aberdeen Music Hall on Tuesday 4th, The Queen’s Hall Edinburgh on Wednesday 5th, Crichton Church Dumfries on Thursday 6th and Glasgow Royal Concert Halls on Friday 7th.
Marianne performed with Lawrence Power, Paul Watkins and Simon Crawford-Phillips in Switzerland: Nyon (Grande salle de la Colombière, Oct 6th), Geneva (Salle Centrale Madeleine, Oct 7th) and Vevey (Salle del Castillo, Oct 8th) including Beethoven: String Trio No 1, op. 3 and Brahms: Piano Quartet No 2, op. 26.
Marianne performed as first violin of the Nash Ensemble of London on Saturday 16th November at 7:30pm, Wigmore Hall, London.
Haydn: 'The Emperor' String Quartet in C Op. 76 No. 3, Carl Maria von Weber: Clarinet Quintet in B flat Op. 34 (with Richard Hosford) and Schubert: String Quintet in C D956.
Marianne directed the Scottish Ensemble on tour from August 29th to September 3rd performing the Octets of Mendelssohn and Enescu in Crear, Argyl, Mull, Inverness and Dundee.
‘Chamber music of the highest order: intimate, considered, gloriously stimulating. Guest leader Marianne Thorsen set the tone with her lithe, strongly defined playing that encouraged but never dictated.’
THE SCOTSMAN
David Kettle, Marryat Hall, Dundee ***** (5-stars)
Marianne performed at Oslo Kammermusikkfestival in August including Beethoven: First Sonata for Violin and Piano with Liv Glaser (fortepiano); and Brahms: Trio for Violin, Horn and Piano with Radovan Vlatkovic, horn and Håvard Gimse, piano.
Marianne performs at the Trondheim Chamber Music Festival on September 27th: Vivaldi’s Winter Concerto from The Four Seasons at the Midnight Concert in Trondheim Cathedral (with the TrondheimSoloists). Marianne also to perform Ravel: Sonata for violin and cello with Tanja Tetzlaff, cello on September 28th at 18.00 at Sverresborg Trøndelag Folk Museum in Trondheim.
Marianne performs with the Nash Ensemble of London at Wigmore Hall on October 12th (with Stéphanie d'Oustrac mezzo-soprano). Programme includes works by Weber, Schubert's Trout
Quintet and Spohr.
Marianne Thorsen returned to the Edinburgh International Festival on 17th August with the Nash Ensemble. Programme included Sir James MacMillan Fourteen Little Pictures for Piano Trio and Dvořak: Piano Trio in E minor Dumky with Adrian Brendel, cello and Alasdair Beatson, piano.