“Nature is the power”: How the Arctic inspired virtuoso violinist Eldbjørg Hemsing's latest recording

Nestled among the far-flung north of Norway’s epic coastline of fjords and islets, within the invisible periphery of the Arctic Circle, you find the small township of Bodø. Flanked by powerful tidal seas and jagged mountain peaks, it is a place of dramatic natural beauty, whether blanketed in winter’s perpetual darkness or lit by the blazing midnight sun. It is also where renowned violinist Eldbjørg Hemsing has recorded her latest masterpiece.

Hemsing says Nordic mythology has followed her since her birth, literally. It was then that she was given an iteration of her grandmother’s ancient Scandinavian name uniting the words, ‘eld’ and ‘bjørg’, meaning ‘fire protector’. Another inheritance of equal significance was musical talent, passed on and fostered by her mother, also a violinist. Something of a prodigy, Hemsing performed for the Norwegian royal family at Oslo’s Nationaltheatret at just six years old.

Despite her illustrious international career that followed that wunderkind moment, Hemsing has kept strong ties with her Norwegian roots, exploring her heritage and an identity that “profoundly shapes” her artistry. Now an acclaimed, Norwegian Grammy-awarded (and yet strikingly unassuming) string musician, Hemsing has produced a self-described “passion project ” spurred by her Nordic curiosity: her latest album, Arctic.

The album, which Hemsing has recorded with the Arctic Philharmonic Orchestra, conjures a “grand symphonic world”, which she explains is a cohesive musical journey through “all of the Arctic’s natural elements, whether melting ice, polar winds, water or sunrise”. “There is something so magical about an area where nature is the power,” she says. “You don’t really have any say. You’re just a little ant walking around. That’s really the true beauty of a place.”

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Melting ice is, of course, an irrefutable part of today’s Arctic landscape. Referencing the Norwegian archipelago of Svalbard – one of the northernmost inhabited areas on Earth – as a place of inspiration for the album, Hemsing notes the increasing difficulty to visit the area due to climate change. Still, she insists not everything about the Arctic ought to be “devastating”. “My first time in Svalbard, I just felt this magnetic kind of belonging,” she says. “There is a lot of incredible beauty and there are stories that should be told.”

Arctic’s vast repertoire seeks to tell those stories, evoking barren snow-blanketed landscapes, unforgiving tundras and majestic glaciers. The album comprises a range of new compositions, including a 20-minute ‘Arctic Suite’ by Jacob Shea and ‘A Hidden Life’ by James Newton Howard. Both Shea and Howard are American composers who have created soaring symphonic Hollywood soundtracks with the likes of Hans Zimmer, bringing an outside-in perspective on the Nordics that Hemsing believes to be important.

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Newly composed works on the album also include pieces by Norwegian composer Frode Fjellheim, who hails from the indigenous Sámi tribe. Best known for his work on beloved animated film series Frozen, Fjellheim has written two pieces for Arctic: ‘Returning of the Sun’ and ‘Under the Moon’. As the names suggest, the compositions explore the region’s spectacular and otherworldly extremities of light and dark. At the hear t of the track list, however, are six new orchestral arrangements of cherished Nordic pieces, including ‘Last Spring’ by Norway’s most recognisable name in classical music, Edvard Grieg.

So what, exactly, is the sound of Norway? “There is a lot of lyricism,” Hemsing says. “It’s not overly emotional or dramatic. It’s pure and to the point and also simplistic. It speaks very directly to you.” As well as its clear connection with the natural environment, Norway’s music is also heavily influenced by its mythology and folk heritage, imbued with courage, humour and melancholic characteristics. Fittingly, an arrangement of ‘La Melancolie’ by seminal Norwegian composer Ole Bull also appears on Arctic.

The question of Norway’s sound can be answered in more literal terms by the Hardanger fiddle, or ‘hardingfele’ in Norwegian. Dating back to the 17th century, it has more strings than a standard violin and can be tuned up to 27 different ways “depending on your mood or the time of day,” Hemsing explains. While the Hardanger fiddle isn’t heard on Arctic, Hemsing plays the national instrument and supports those keeping its tradition alive.

At the time of our conversation, Hemsing is preparing to record Arctic at Bodø’s Stormen Concert Hall and to don designer looks and towering heels for our editorial shoot set in the extreme surrounding terrain. Home to both the Arctic Philharmonic Orchestra and classical-centred festival Nordland Musikkfestuke, Bodø boasts a population of less than 60,000. Still, it has been named as a 2024 European Capital of Culture – the first time the status has been given to a city north of the Arctic Circle.

This is not Hemsing’s first time playing with the Arctic Philharmonic. In fact, performing with the powerful accompaniment of the orchestra is something she enjoys most. “It is a conversation. It ’s like its own kind of ecosystem in a way,” she says. "We all need to rely on each other, and I can use my voice, which in this case is my violin. It’s such an incredible tool to have.”

To be more specific, her tool is a precious Antonio Stradivarius violin from 1707. While it acts as Hemsing’s melodic voice through the suites and concertos of Arctic, she also uses her own voice in many ways as an active and articulate ambassador of the Nordic arts and culture.

One of the many initiatives that she is involved with is the Hemsing Festival, which she co-founded in 2013 with her sister Ragnhild, also an inter nationally-renowned violinist. Held annually in Aurdal, a small village in the mountains of Valdres where the Hemsing sisters grew up, the chamber festival celebrates the role of music in the community and its connection to cultural traditions, with a focus on engaging young people.

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Hemsing admits that while there is an abundance of young emerging classical musicians and performers in Norway, there still remains “a big bridge” for many people when it comes to the genre. “I want to share the joy of classical music, it should be for everyone. It’s such an unfortunate myth that you have to be incredibly educated or really intellectual to understand it,” she says. “The only thing you need to do is listen. Hopefully it does something to you and you enjoy it and if not, maybe next time.”