Meet the musicians: Vilde Alme
interview
L
Live Klassisk3 min read|10. April 2024
Welcome to our interview relay with musicians from the classical music scene! Today we are delighted to introduce Vilde Alme, who was nominated in the previous round. She works as a cellist and freelancer in Norway. Here she shares her thoughts on classical music and recommends upcoming concerts for both new and experienced concertgoers!
Name, instrument and profession (possibly place of work or study)
Vilde Alme, cello, freelancer.
What are you working on at the moment?
This week I was in OFO, and I am also preparing for an audition.
Most overrated composer or piece?
Bruckner.
And at the opposite end… which music should everyone really get to experience?
Beethoven's late string quartets, Bloch's Schelomo and Strauss's Metamorphosen for septet.
Your latest great concert experience – what made it so special?
Gjermund Larsen Trio, release concert for their newest album Tøyen Sessions. The music is indescribably beautiful, and the atmosphere at his concerts is so relaxed and personal – I think we could let ourselves be inspired by that in our classical genre.
Which living composer inspires you most, and why
Peteris Vasks and Philip Glass, largely because of their compositions for cello and chamber music (Vasks´ piano quartet and The Book for cello, Glass´ string quartets).
Can you remember a single event or experience that made you want to pursue a career as a musician?
Dag Øystein Berger, who later became my teacher at upper secondary school, was present at a concert where I played Kol Nidrei by Bruch. Afterwards he asked me whether I wanted to commit to music. I had said since I was little that I wanted to be a musician, but in that moment it felt for the first time like it was serious. He explained to me what I needed to work on to get there, and offered to help me. Without him I probably would not be where I am today.
Do you have any role models? Is there anyone who has been particularly motivating or inspiring for you?
My teachers Dag Øystein Berger, Lars-Inge Bjärlestam, Ole Eirik Ree and Bjørg Lewis. They are completely different cellists and musicians, but each in their own way have been fantastic motivators. Pieter Wispelwey has also always been a great inspiration. His interpretations and recordings of, among others, the Bach suites, the Beethoven sonatas, the Britten suites and the great concertos such as Haydn, Shostakovich and Dvorak have been my greatest inspiration of all.
Do you have any advice for “new listeners” who are curious about classical music and do not go to concerts very often?
Start with a chamber music concert or a smaller ensemble, look for concerts outside the biggest stages where the atmosphere is more intimate and you get closer to the musicians. A symphony orchestra or an opera can often be overwhelming; there are a great many impressions to take in at once if you are not used to it. It can also be nice to listen to a recording of the music before you go to the concert.
Any upcoming concerts you would recommend?
Ensemble Allegria with Sonoko Miriam Welde on 12 April at Sentralen. The concert is part of the concert series NÅ, and the programme of this concert is fantastic – well worth catching.
Finally – who would you like to challenge to take over the baton?
Andres Maurette O´Brien.
12. Apr
19:00 | 2024
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Chamber music
Large ensembles