Tine Thing Helsethnewly appointed Artistic Director of Risør Kammermusikkfest, has announced the festival’s 2023 programme. For this year’s edition, which will run from 27 June to 2 July, Helseth invited pianist Alice Sara Ott to co-curate the programme.

The theme, Memories, was chosen by Helseth to celebrate what has been and what is worth remembering both in our lives and in the classical music world. Speaking about the programme, Helseth explains the Festival’s idea behind selected programmes: “For example, the concert we have chosen to call The Three Giants is about the meeting between Brahms, Grieg and Tchaikovsky on New Year’s Day 1888. And the concert Friends of Munch is about Edvard Munch and his musical friends. Risør is celebrating its 300th anniversary this year, and in the concert Romantiske Risør you get a picture – a memory – of the neo-romanticism in Risør with Agathe Backer Grøndahl, Arne Garborg and Gustav Mahler.”

Located in Norwegian town of Risør which this year celebrates its 300th anniversary, the Festival is promising an extravagant musician line-up. Helseth says, “One of the greatest joys of being an artistic director is being able to invite good colleagues and musicians with whom I love to play. Musicians I admire and that I want all of you to experience. Karen Gomyo, Mari Eriksmoen, Isata Kanneh-Mason, Julia Hagen, Enrico Pace and Benjamin Appl are coming. There will be real tango with Cuarteto SolTango and unique experiences with Marit Larsen and Ingrid Bjørnov. And Risør Festival Strings. And I still haven’t mentioned them all.”

Read the full programme announcement here.

Photo credit: Anna-Julia Granberg