MIRRA – Norwegian Tradition Reimagined
Schedule
Thu, 27 Nov, 2025 at 08:00 am
UTC+11:00Location
Melbourne Recital Centre | Melbourne, VI
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A powerhouse of Norwegian artists distil ancestral folk songs into meditative modern masterpieces.Experience the profound artistry of a Norwegian supergroup as they weave traditional music with contemporary evocations of the north. Led by acclaimed Hardanger fiddler Benedicte Maurseth, she brings together an exceptional ensemble featuring Morten Qvenild, Mats Eilertsen, and Håkon Stene.
At the heart of this performance lies the Hardanger fiddle, a seventeenth-century instrument considered the soul of traditional Norwegian music. With eight strings-four sympathetic strings that create remarkable resonance and chordal possibilities-this distinctive instrument produces sounds both ancient and strikingly contemporary in Maurseth's hands.
Recently commissioned by the revered Kronos Quartet, Maurseth draws inspiration from her childhood in Norway's remote northern mountains and vast plateaus. Performing her haunting new album MIRRA, she transforms age-old traditional tunes through the sounds and survival patterns of reindeer and other mountain creatures, creating music that speaks to both heritage and the natural world's timeless rhythms.
This is where Norway's musical traditional meets its future, with four masters and a 400-year-old fiddle rewriting the rules of what tradition means today.
Praise for Benedicte Maurseth
'Rhythmic repetitions and rustling textures evoke the traditional music and ecological harmony of Maurseth’s native Norway.' - The Guardian (Folk Album of the Month)
'Although steeped in tradition and rooted in the region, Maurseth approaches the Hardanger fiddle not as a historical artefact, but as a richly communicative voice, speaking to the present with rhythmic vitality, melodic suppleness and harmonic complexity.' - The Wire
'★★★★★' - BBC Music Magazine
'It's Maurseth, embracing the past and touching the ground that has formed who she is. The result is gently majestic.' - Roots World
'★★★★★ - Her interspersed contributions on Hardanger fiddle are as entrancing as ever, whether channelling traditional music or improvising. The imaginative integration of all elements in a sort of propulsive acoustic ecosystem is uniquely and irresistibly stunning.' - Songlines
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Where is it happening?
Melbourne Recital Centre, 31 Sturt Street, Southbank,Melbourne,VIC,AustraliaEvent Location & Nearby Stays:
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