Trio Mediaeval
Anna Maria Friman • Linn Andrea Fuglseth • Torunn Østrem Ossum
The brilliant Scandinavian sopranos of Trio Mediæval have created a fascinating and unique world of sound, which they portray with unerring virtuosity. Founded in 1997 in Oslo, Trio Mediæval has a specialized repertoire of ballads and songs from the Norwegian Middle Ages and of polyphonic music from medieval England, France and
Italy that the women arrange themselves, as well as contemporary works written specifically for the ensemble.
Trio Mediæval's first CD on ECM Records, Words of the Angel, immediately reached Billboard's Top 10 Bestseller list and was made the Stereophile "Recording of the Month" in April 2002. Further releases on ECM followed in 2004 with Soir, dit-elle and in 2005 with Stella Maris. In October 2007, the trio's long awaited CD of Norwegian ballads and songs, entitled Folk Songs, was released and immediately received enthusiastic reviews. Folk Songs was nominated for a Grammy Award for "Best Chamber Music Performance" the following year. Their latest recording, A Worcester Ladymass, was selected by the German Record Critic's Award as one of the best new releases in the "Early Music" category and was met again with the highest critical acclaim.
Trio Mediæval has performed throughout Europe in prestigious venues such as the Oslo Concert Hall, Bozar in Brussels, London's Wigmore Hall and the Vienna Konzerthaus. Several engagements have also taken them outside of Europe, including performances at the Hong Kong Arts Festival and Carnegie Hall.
The trio collaborates with a multitude of contemporary composers, including Gavin Bryars, Ivan Moody, Oleh Harkavyy and Andrew Smith. In March 2005, the Trio premiered Shelter, its biggest multi-media contemporary music project to date, in Cologne, Germany. A collaborative effort of composers Michael Gordon, Julia Wolfe and David Lang, and the German new music ensemble musikFabrik, Shelter was first fully staged the following November at the Brooklyn Academy of Music. Julia Wolfe was fascinated by the three voices and wrote a piece for the trio entitled Steel Hammer. Together with the Bang on a Can All Stars, the trio premiered Steel Hammer in New York's Carnegie Hall in November 2009.
Once again, the 2011/12 season will focus on the trio's characteristic artistic open-mindedness. The singers will perform solo with orchestra for the first time with the Norwegian Radio Orchestra in Oslo, premiering a new work by David Lang. Metamorphose, a journey back to the Middle Age and a new collaboration with the Spanish ensemble Tasto Solo will also see its premiere in Antwerp in October. Other upcoming engagements include a UK-tour with Norwegian jazz trumpeter Arve Henriksen, collaborations with the Trondheim Soloists String Ensemble and Trio Mediæval's continuation of its legendary folk songs programme, this time with the support of Berit Opheim and Nils Økland.
www.triomediaeval.no
The brilliant Scandinavian sopranos of Trio Mediæval have created a fascinating and unique world of sound, which they portray with unerring virtuosity. Founded in 1997 in Oslo, Trio Mediæval has a specialized repertoire of ballads and songs from the Norwegian Middle Ages and of polyphonic music from medieval England, France and
Italy that the women arrange themselves, as well as contemporary works written specifically for the ensemble.
Trio Mediæval's first CD on ECM Records, Words of the Angel, immediately reached Billboard's Top 10 Bestseller list and was made the Stereophile "Recording of the Month" in April 2002. Further releases on ECM followed in 2004 with Soir, dit-elle and in 2005 with Stella Maris. In October 2007, the trio's long awaited CD of Norwegian ballads and songs, entitled Folk Songs, was released and immediately received enthusiastic reviews. Folk Songs was nominated for a Grammy Award for "Best Chamber Music Performance" the following year. Their latest recording, A Worcester Ladymass, was selected by the German Record Critic's Award as one of the best new releases in the "Early Music" category and was met again with the highest critical acclaim.
Trio Mediæval has performed throughout Europe in prestigious venues such as the Oslo Concert Hall, Bozar in Brussels, London's Wigmore Hall and the Vienna Konzerthaus. Several engagements have also taken them outside of Europe, including performances at the Hong Kong Arts Festival and Carnegie Hall.
The trio collaborates with a multitude of contemporary composers, including Gavin Bryars, Ivan Moody, Oleh Harkavyy and Andrew Smith. In March 2005, the Trio premiered Shelter, its biggest multi-media contemporary music project to date, in Cologne, Germany. A collaborative effort of composers Michael Gordon, Julia Wolfe and David Lang, and the German new music ensemble musikFabrik, Shelter was first fully staged the following November at the Brooklyn Academy of Music. Julia Wolfe was fascinated by the three voices and wrote a piece for the trio entitled Steel Hammer. Together with the Bang on a Can All Stars, the trio premiered Steel Hammer in New York's Carnegie Hall in November 2009.
Once again, the 2011/12 season will focus on the trio's characteristic artistic open-mindedness. The singers will perform solo with orchestra for the first time with the Norwegian Radio Orchestra in Oslo, premiering a new work by David Lang. Metamorphose, a journey back to the Middle Age and a new collaboration with the Spanish ensemble Tasto Solo will also see its premiere in Antwerp in October. Other upcoming engagements include a UK-tour with Norwegian jazz trumpeter Arve Henriksen, collaborations with the Trondheim Soloists String Ensemble and Trio Mediæval's continuation of its legendary folk songs programme, this time with the support of Berit Opheim and Nils Økland.
www.triomediaeval.no
Management for Europe and Asia
Photo: CF Wesenberg
Photo: CF Wesenberg
Photo: Asa Maria Mikkelsen