Tine Thing Helseth – one with her instrument

Trine. Photo: Mic.no.

At twenty-one the Norwegian trumpet player Tine Thing Helseth is on the path of an international career as brilliant as the tone of her instrument.

Tine started to play trumpet at the age of 7 and is already one of the leading trumpet soloists of her generation, having appeared as a soloist with orchestras in Europe and Asia. She currently studies in Oslo with Arnulf Naur Nilsen.

“My mother played the trumpet, Tine relates, so I grew up to the wonderfully versatile sound of the instrument”.

Tine plays an American trumpet, which must be distinguished from the German version. This is not determined by the country of production, but refers to two slightly different instruments. “A way of describing the difference is that the American instrument has a circular tone, with a lot of brilliance, while the German trumpet is more oval; the tone is wider and less brilliant,” says Trine.

“In Scandinavia we have mostly made use of the American trumpet; its brilliance is part of the so-called Scandinavian sound,” she explains. Norway has a rich environment for trumpet and brass music and the country has fostered several world class players.

Helseth has appeared as a soloist with, among others, Wiener Symphoniker, Vienna Chamber Orchestra, Zürcher Kammerorchester, Zürcher Kammerorchester, Staatsphilharmonie Rheinland Pfalz, Cappella Cracowiensis, Shanghai Symphony Orchestra, Camerata Nordica, Nordwestdeutsche Philharmonie and all the major Norwegian symphony orchestras.

Helseth’s debut album (Classical Trumpet Concertos with the Norwegian Chamber Orchestra) was released in November 2007 on the Norwegian Simax label and has received excellent reviews: the leading Norwegian newspaper, Aftenposten, nominated it the classical recording of the year.

Awards include a 2009 Borletti-Buitoni Trust Fellowship, “Newcomer of the year in every genre” at the Norwegian Grammy Awards (she was the first classical performer ever to be nominated), 2nd prize in the Eurovision Young Musicians Competition in 2007, the prestigious Prince Eugen´s Culture Prize in Stockholm, Norwegian Soloists Prize 2006, The Norwegian Broadcasting (P2) soloist 2006 and Norway’s Musician of the Year 2005.

Her engagements in 2009 include debuts in Washington D.C. (in December) and Tokyo.

Source: Mic.no