Kristin Mellem (born 21 March 1965) is a

Norwegian Norwegian, Norwayan, or Norsk may refer to: *Something of, from, or related to Norway, a country in northwestern Europe *Norwegians, both a nation and an ethnic group native to Norway *Demographics of Norway *The Norwegian language, including the ...

musician (

violin The violin, sometimes known as a ''fiddle'', is a wooden chordophone (string instrument) in the violin family. Most violins have a hollow wooden body. It is the smallest and thus highest-pitched instrument (soprano) in the family in regular ...

), composer and conductor known for her involvement in Northern Norway's musical scene. She was educated at and

Bergen Music Conservatory The Grieg Academy ( no, Griegakademiet) is a disputed historical term used to refer to the higher education music programs in Bergen, Norway (birthplace of composer Edvard Grieg), as well as various collaborations across music institutions in Bergen ...

(1984–1990) and has worked as a violin teacher in

Balsfjord Balsfjord ( sme, Báhccavuotna ; fkv, Paatsivuono) is a municipality in Troms og Finnmark county, Norway. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Storsteinnes. Other villages include Mestervik, Mortenhals, and Nordkjo ...

Bergen Bergen (), historically Bjørgvin, is a city and municipality in Vestland county on the west coast of Norway. , its population is roughly 285,900. Bergen is the second-largest city in Norway. The municipality covers and is on the peninsula of ...

Hadsel Hadsel ( sme, Válafierda) is a municipality in Nordland county, Norway. It is part of the traditional district of Vesterålen. The administrative centre of the municipality is the town of Stokmarknes. Other villages in Hadsel include Fiskebøl, ...

, and

Tromsø Tromsø (, , ; se, Romsa ; fkv, Tromssa; sv, Tromsö) is a List of municipalities of Norway, municipality in Troms og Finnmark county, Norway. The administrative centre of the municipality is the Tromsø (city), city of Tromsø. Tromsø lies ...

. Furthermore, she has been named regional musician and conductor of the Vesterålen Symphony Orchestra, part of the (1987–1997), Tromsø Symphony Orchestra (1993–present), associated with

Hålogaland Teater Hålogaland Teater is a regional theatre serving the region of Nord-Norge, the northernmost of Norway. It got its name after the northernmost county in Norway in the Middle Ages Hålogaland. When established in 1971, it was the first regional the ...

(, 2002) and

Rikskonsertene Concerts Norway ( no, Rikskonsertene) was established in 1967 on the initiative of the Arts Council Norway ( no, Norsk kulturråd), with its main purpose described as follows: "Concerts Norway is to make living music of high artistic quality acces ...

(1997–2000). Mellem has contributed to the Eventyr festival in Tromsø since 1998, toured with Boknakaran (2001–2002), and contributed to releases with Moya på Tvoya. With the Tromsø Symphony Orchestra she composed the performance (''Travels through time'', 2002). In 2004, she composed (''Meeting of voices'') with

Solveig Kringlebotn Solveig Kringlebotn () (4 June 1963), better known outside Norway as Solveig Kringelborn, is an internationally known Norwegian operatic soprano.Listen to Norway v1-3 Norsk musikkinformasjon – 1993 "Two of these are CD recordings featuring tw ...

and Ingor Ánte Áilo Gaup (

joik A joik or yoik (anglicised, where the latter spelling in English conforms with the pronunciation; also named , , , or in the Sámi languages) is a traditional form of song in Sámi music performed by the Sámi people of Sapmi in Northern Europe. ...

) for Nordlysfestivalen; together with Gaup, ''Jeđđehus'' was released the following year and nominated for the 2005

Edvardprisen The Edvard Prize is a Norwegian music award in given by TONO, copyright organization for musicians and composers. The award, which was first awarded in 1998, is awarded annually and can only be awarded to members of the organization. The goal is to ...

. In cooperation with she composed and performed fiddle music with the Tromsø Symphony Orchestra for the production – (2004). The other musicians involved were

Finn Sletten Finn Sletten (born 11 August 1952) is a Norwegian jazz musician (drums and percussions). Career Sletten was born in Bodø. After a study tour to Arizona (1968–70), he played in his home town with such musicians as Paul Weeden Band at Fes ...

(percussion) and (violin), along with joik singer

Inga Juuso Inga Juuso (5 October 1945 – 23 August 2014) was a Sami yoiker, singer and actress in the film ''The Kautokeino Rebellion''. She was known from her own band performances, and recordings and collaborations with musicians like Steinar Raknes, Hå ...

. Mellem formerly led the band

Vajas Vajas (meaning ''echo'' in North Sámi) was a Sámi- Norwegian band with Kristin Mellem on violin and vocals, Nils Johansen on guitars, computers and synthesizers and the famous Sami ethnic yoiker Ánde Somby on vocals and yoik (or joik, a type ...

(English: 'Echo') with

Nils Johansen Nils is a Scandinavian given name, a chiefly Norwegian, Danish, Swedish and Latvian variant of Niels, cognate to Nicholas. People and animals with the given name * Nils Bergström (born 1985), Swedish ice hockey player *Nils Björk (1898–1989) ...

(synthesizer) from

Bel Canto Bel canto (Italian for "beautiful singing" or "beautiful song", )—with several similar constructions (''bellezze del canto'', ''bell'arte del canto'')—is a term with several meanings that relate to Italian singing. The phrase was not associat ...

and

Ánde Somby Ánde Somby, born in Buolbmat, Norway, is a traditional Sami joik artist and an associate professor at the Faculty of Law at the University of Tromsø, specializing in Indigenous Rights Law. Somby has been active yoiker since 1974. He has also b ...

(joik). Their debut was at Nana Urfolksdager in 2003, and they toured internationally as well as performing at by:Larm in 2004. In 2008, she was awarded

Trygve Hoff :''See Trygve Henrik Hoff for the singer, composer and artist.'' Trygve J. B. Hoff (12 November 1895 – 4 January 1982) born in Kristiana, Norway was a Norwegian businessman, writer and editor of ''Farmand'', the Norwegian business magazine. B ...

's memorial award.

References

External links

vajas.info

1965 births Living people Norwegian classical composers Norwegian classical violinists Norwegian conductors (music) Norwegian folk musicians Women classical composers Women conductors (music) 20th-century conductors (music) 20th-century classical composers 20th-century classical violinists 20th-century Norwegian musicians 21st-century conductors (music) 21st-century classical composers 21st-century classical violinists Women classical violinists 21st-century Norwegian musicians 20th-century Norwegian women 21st-century Norwegian women 20th-century women composers 21st-century women composers {{Norway-composer-stub