Friday, March 2, 2012

She Rocks the Classical World: Tine Thing Helseth

SHE ROCKS THE CLASSICAL WORLD: TINE THING HELSETH -- Though she's virtually unknown to America's youth (or adults as well) and she doesn't wear bizarre clothes, wigs or other paraphernalia so popular with many of today's entertainers, 24-year-old Norwegian Tine Thing Helseth is of true rock star status to thousands young and old around the world who hang onto every note of her golden trumpet virtuosity.  She made her American debut in Washington DC in 2009 -- and made recent appearances in Minneapolis and South Carolina a couple of weeks ago -- and we at Studio of Style are hoping that there will be a stop here in L.A. (please!) this year (?) so that the Hollywood types can get a dose of her stunning talent and hear classical music from a fresh point of view (her new LP on EMI Classics "Storyteller" features a wealth of songs by Grieg, Strauss, Sibelius, Ravel, Canteloube and Weill, among others -- songs not often heard on the trumpet if at all, which also is another reason to get this LP!).  Helseth had the great privilege of performing in Grieg's living room in Bergen, Norway -- which gave her a thrill to be in the very room where Norway's most famous composer created his famed pieces! We have Helseth's mother (also a trumpet player) to thank -- for it was her who gave the 7-year-old Helseth a trumpet to play and in Helseth's own words, "it felt very natural." Her rise to fame in the classical music world has been almost phenomenal -- making appearances at the Royal Albert Hall (!) and appearing with symphonies in Liverpool, Monte Carlo, Stuttgart, Hong Kong and many more. Naturally, she has received many awards, honors, prizes and recognition over the years -- even winning the Norwegian Grammy for "Newcomer of the Year." Helseth blogs, tweets and facebooks just like the rest of us -- and she enjoys playing in an all-female brass ensemble that she organized called Thing Ten in her free time! She and EMI label-mate trumpeter Alison Balsom of Britain are blazing a trail in an area of classical music that was formerly the territory of men -- and we love trail blazers, don't we? Be sure to check out her website where you can see videos of her performing and talking about her craft -- and much more.  And, of course, we're counting on her artistic management agency (hint, hint!) to bring the fabulous Tine Thing Helseth to Hollywood where she will truly shine like the star that she is!
Photos gathered from the internet, including: Thor Brødreskift for Magasin Kvadratisk / EMI Classics / Matt Crossick for  PA Photos