Benedicte Maurseth (born 7 February 1983) is a Norwegian

traditional folk Folk music is a music genre that includes traditional folk music and the contemporary genre that evolved from the former during the 20th-century folk revival. Some types of folk music may be called world music. Traditional folk music has been ...

singer and musician.

Career

Maurseth picked up the fiddle at the age seven, and studied with Knut Hamre. In addition to studies at the

University of Bergen The University of Bergen () is a public university, public research university in Bergen, Norway. As of 2021, the university had over 4,000 employees and 19,000 students. It was established by an act of parliament in 1946 consolidating several sci ...

(minor in art history) she attended the Ole Bull Academy at

Voss Voss () is a Municipalities of Norway, municipality and a Districts of Norway, traditional district in Vestland Counties of Norway, county, Norway. The administrative center of the municipality is the village of Vossevangen. Other villages inclu ...

in the period 2004–06. She immersed herself in the

baroque The Baroque ( , , ) is a Western Style (visual arts), style of Baroque architecture, architecture, Baroque music, music, Baroque dance, dance, Baroque painting, painting, Baroque sculpture, sculpture, poetry, and other arts that flourished from ...

instrument

viola d'amore The viola d'amore (; ) is a 7- or 6- stringed musical instrument with additional sympathetic strings used chiefly in the baroque period. It is played under the chin in the same manner as the violin. Structure and sound The viola d'amore shar ...

next to her main instrument

Hardanger fiddle A hardanger fiddle () is a traditional stringed instrument considered the national instrument of Norway. In modern designs, this type of fiddle is very similar to the violin, though with eight or nine strings (rather than four as on a standard v ...

. Maurseth is also a kveder and currently works as a freelance musician based in Bergen. Since 2005 she has had extensive concert activities nationally and internationally (including in USA, Canada, India, Tyskland, Belgia and in Island), both as a solo artist and in collaborations. In Germany she played at

TFF Rudolstadt The Rudolstadt-Festival (till 2015 TFF ("Tanz- und Folkfest") Rudolstadt) is a German folk, roots and world music festival. It takes place annually on the first full July weekend in Rudolstadt/Thuringia Thuringia (; officially the Free S ...

in 2010 and at the 'folkBALTICA' 2011. Together with Knut Hamre,

Nils Økland Nils Andreas Økland (10 June 1882 – 1969) was a Norwegian Esperantist and teacher in Stord (Hordaland), Norway. He spent some years in his youth on the island Utsira, where his father was a school teacher. Nils Økland was married to Ha ...

and

Sigbjørn Apeland Sigbjørn Apeland (born 10 May 1966) is a musician (organ and Harmonium) and scientist, known from several recordings and for his work in the borderland between folk music, church music and improvisational music. Career Apeland was raised in ...

, Maurseth released the album ''Rosa I Botnen'' in 2006, a production with traditional music from Hardanger, performed on fiddles from the 1600s and 1700s. This is the oldest Hardanger fiddles that are preserved, and was recorded for the first time. In 2008, Maurseth together with

Berit Opheim Berit Opheim Versto (born 18 June 1967 in Voss, Norway) is a Norwegian singer, known for her interpretations of folk music. Career Opheim studied at Bergen Musikkonservatorium (1987–90) and Norges Musikkhøgskole (1990–92), and has worke ...

, Åsne Valland Norli and Kristin Skaare, released the album ''Fodnes'', which was based on folk music from Hardanger collected by

Geirr Tveitt Geirr Tveitt (born Nils Tveit; 19 October 1908 – 1 February 1981) was a Norwegian composer and pianist. Tveitt was a central figure of the national movement in Norwegian cultural life during the 1930s. Life Early years Tveitt was born in Be ...

. In 2009 she composed new music for a theater version of Jon Fosse lyrics, Andvake, and she performed on stage together with actor Svein Tindberg. Her music from this underlie the first solo record ''Alde'' (2010). She has also on several occasions acted together with

Jon Fosse Jon Olav Fosse (; born 29 September 1959) is a Norwegian author, translator, and playwright. In 2023, he was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature "for his innovative plays and prose which give voice to the unsayable." Fosse's work spans over se ...

himself. Together with

Gabriel Fliflet Gabriel Fliflet (born 18 July 1958 in Åland, Finland) is a Norwegian accordion player and vocalist, known for his multicultural musical expressions and numerous recordings. He is the brother of bass player and sagspiller Andreas Fliflet, and the ...

Stein Urheim Stein Urheim (born 4 March 1979) is a Norwegians, Norwegian jazz musician (guitar) and composer, known from cooperations with Gabriel Fliflet and Mari Kvien Brunvoll. Career The Bergen-born guitarist Stein Urheim's name has appeared in an increa ...

, Kristoffer Voght and

Per Jørgensen Per Jørgensen (born 9 September 1952) is a Norwegian multi-instrumentalist with trumpet as his main instrument, also known for his vocal contributions, in collaboration with Dag Arnesen, Knut Kristiansen, Alex Riel, Jon Christensen, Jon Balke, ...

she released the album ''Åresong'' in 2011, performing lyrics by Jon Fosse. ''Åresong'' was a commissioned works at the

Bergen International Festival Bergen International Festival () is an annual international music and cultural festival in Bergen, Norway. In Spring 2022, Lars Petter Hagen took over as festival director. Biography The Bergen International festival is the largest festival ...

in 2010.

Honours

*2007: Young Folk Musician of the Year in Norway

Bibliography

*2014: ''Å vera ingenting – Samtalar med spelemannen Knut Hamre'', Samlaget, preface by

Discography

Solo albums

*2010: ''Alde'' ( Heilo Records) *2019: ''Benedicte Maurseth ( Heilo Records)'' *2022: ''Hárr (Hubro)''

Collaborations

;With Knut Hamre *2006: ''Rosa I Botnen'' (Heilo Records) *2012: ''Anima'' (Heilo Records) ;With Åsne Valland Nordli,

& Kristin Skaare *2008: ''Fodne Ho Svara Stilt'' (Heilo Records) ;Duo with Åsne Valland Nordli *2014: ''Over Tones'' (

ECM Records ECM (Edition of Contemporary Music) is an independent record label founded by Karl Egger, Manfred Eicher and Manfred Scheffner in Munich in 1969. While ECM is best known for jazz music, the label has released a variety of recordings, and ECM's a ...

)

References

External links

*
Benedicte Maurset Website Berlin mai 2011
{{DEFAULTSORT:Maurseth, Benedicte 21st-century Norwegian violinists 21st-century Norwegian singers Norwegian folk singers ECM Records artists Heilo Music artists Musicians from Eidfjord 1983 births Living people 21st-century Norwegian women singers 21st-century Norwegian folk musicians Norwegian women folk musicians