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Miriam Helms Ålien-Violin* “Norways Musician of the Year 2010”

Miriam is a 1st prize winner of both national and international competitions. In 2007 she won 1st prize in the International Kocian Violin Competition in the Czech Republic, where she also was the overall winner, receiving the Grand Prix Laureate. She also won several extra prizes, including the EMCY Art for Music Prize for “the excellent performance” and the Bärenreiter Prize.Miriam is quadruple 1st prize winner of the bi-annual National Youth Violin Championship of Norway (2004, 2006, 2008 and 2010)as well as being appointedNorways“:Musician of the Year 2010”.She has also won 1st prizes and awards in other competitions in Norway, including the “Finnmark Young Talent” (2005), and the Alta stipend award (2006) and the Sparre Olsen competition (2007). She was admitted to participate inthe Jean Sibelius Competition 2010.

Miriam,from Alta in Northern Norway,was born in 1991andstarted playing violin atthe age of 6.

Since her solo debut 8 years oldwith the regional orchestra,Miriam has been soloist with numerous other orchestras in Norway and abroadlike the Norwegian Orchestra of National Defence (2004), Tromsø Symphony Orchestra (2007), Barratt Due Symphony Orchestra (2007), Drammen Symphony Orchestra(2008), the Czech Philharmonic Orchestra Pardubice (2008) the Norwegian Radio Orchestra (2008), Oslo Symphony Orchestra and Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra (2010).

As a recitalist Miriam has performed, often with re-invites, at numerous prestigious national and international festivals and masterclasses, including Bergen International Festival & Hardanger Festivals (2009), Oslo International Chamber Music Festival (2006-2007), the Festival of North Norway (2007), Valdres Summer Symphony (2002-2008), Margess International of Switzerland (2004-2008), Egersund Youth Chamber Music Festival (2007) and the Northern Lights festival (2009), in addition to several appearances at venues like Oslo Concert Hall and Wigmore Hall. She has also frequentlyappeared on Norwegian television,- last time as a soloist with the Norwegian Radio Orchestra in the finals of the Virtuoso Competition performing from the Brahms concerto.

She has played in masterclasses with celebrated artists like Gordan Nikolitch, Detlef Hahn, Pjotr Janowski, Almita Vamos, Gordon Back, Jiri Hlinka, Sergej Stadler, Dora Schwartzberg and Ida Haendel.

In 2009 Miriam performed concerts with Arve Tellefsen and the Chamber Orchestra ”Feler uten grenser” in Tromsø, recitals at the Bergen International Festival,Hardanger Festival, Valdres Summer Festival and at Griegs home at Troldhaugen.

Miriam is a dedicated chamber musician, and her piano quintet (“Goldfish”)won 1st prize in the National Ensemble Competition 2007 .The quintet have since appeared at numerous festivals and concert venues in Norway and abroad including Wigmore Hall, the Trondheim Chamber Music Festival, the EMCY European Concert in Switzerland a tour of Southern Norway in January 2009 and recitals at the Bergen International Festival,Hardanger Music Festival and a tour of the North of Norway organized by the regional authorities.

In 2003-2004 Miriamstudied with Malfred Hanssen atthe Tromsø Conservatory.

From2004she was part of the Young Talents programme of the Barratt Due Institute of Music in Oslo. In 2008, at the age of 15, Miriam was as the youngest ever accepted to study for a Bachelor’s degree at the Institute, where shestudieswith Alf Richard Kraggerud, Henning Kraggerud and Stephan Barratt Due.From 2006 onMiriamalsostudies atLondonRazumovsky Academy, to where she travels every other month for masterclasses and concerts, mostly in Wigmore Hall.

Miriam plays a 1780 N. Gagliano violin, generously on loan to her by the Norwegian insurance company Storebrand.

CV as of November 29,2010  

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Miriam er 1.prisvinner av både nasionale og internasionale konkurranser. I 2007 vant hun 1. pris i International Kocian Violin Competition i Czech Republic,hvor hun også ble sammenlagt-vinner og mottok Grand Prix Laureate. Hun vant også flere andre priser,bl.a. EMCY Art for Music Prize for "the excellent performance" og Bärenreiter Prize. Miriam er også fire ganger på rad 1.prisvinner i Ungdommens Musikkmesterskap(2004, 2006, 2008 and 2010) og utpekt som Årets Musiker 2010.  Hun har også mottatt 1.priser og utmerkelser i andre norske konkurranser "Finnmark Ungt Talent" (2005),Alta stipend (2006) og Sparre Olsen konkurransen (2007) og ble godkjent og deltok i den meget prestisjefylte internasjonale Jean Sibelius Violin Competition 2010.

Miriam er født i 1991 og vokst opp i Alta og begynte å spille fiolin i 6-års alder.Etter solodebut bare 8 år gammel med et regionalt orkester har Miriam vært solist med en rekke andre orkestre i Norge og i utlandet bl.a. Forsvarets Stabsmusikkorps (2004), Tromsø Symfoniorkester (2007), Barratt Due Symfoniorkester (2007), Drammens Symfoniorkester (2008), Czech Philharmonic Orchestra Pardubice (2008),Kringkastingsorkesteret KORK (2008), Oslo Symfoniorkester og Bergen Filharmoniske Orkester (2010), Norsk Ungdomssymfoniorkester (2011) og Arkhangelsk Chamber Orchestra (Nov 2011 og Januar 2012)

Som resitalist har Miriam opptrådt, ofte med nye invitasjoner, på et stort antall nasjonale og internasjonale festivaler og mesterklasser, bl.a. Festspillene i Bergen & Hardanger KMF (2009), Oslo KMF (2006-2007),Festspillene i Nord-Norge (2007), Valdres Sommersymfoni (2002-2008), Margess International Festival Switzerland (2004-2008), Egersund KMF for Ungdom (2007) og Nordlysfestivalen (2009 og 2012), i tillegg til medvirkning i mange konserter i Oslo Konserthus og i London Wigmore Hall. Hun har også opptrått på TV, bl.a. som solist with med KORK i finalen av «Virtuos-konkurransen» der hun fremførte fra Brahms fiolinkonsert.

Hun har deltatt i mesterklasser med bl.a. Shlomo Mintz, Gordan Nikolitch, Detlef Hahn, Pjotr Janowski, Almita Vamos, Gordon Back, Jiri Hlinka, Sergej Stadler, Dora Schwartzberg og Ida Haendel.

Miriam er en dedisert kammermusiker. Hennes klaverkvintett ("Goldfish")vant 1.pris i den nasjonale ensemble-konkurransen i 2007. Kvintetten har siden opptrådt på en rekke festivaler og konsertsteder i inn- og utland, bl.a.i Sveits, i London Wigmore Hall, på Trondheim KMF, Festspillene i Bergen og Hardanger og på turneer i Norge.

I 2003 og 2004 studerte Miriam med Malfred Hanssen ved Musikkonservatoriet i Tromsø. I 2004 av ble hun opptatt på Talentutviklingsprogrammet ved Barratt Due Musikkinstitutt i Oslo. I 2008, bare 15 år gammel var Miriam den aller yngste noen sinne som ble akseptert til Bachelor-studiet ved instituttet der hun har hatt Alf Richard Kraggerud, Henning Kraggerud og Stephan Barratt Due som lærere. Fra 2006 har Miriam også regelmessig studert og deltatt i mesterklasser og konserter i London og Berlin.

Miriam spiller på en 1780 N. Gagliano violin som er stilt til disposisjon for henne av forsikringsselskapet Storebrand.