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Discography

Mari Samuelsen

Imaginative and eloquent, violinist Mari Samuelsen is known for her breath-taking artistry and adventurous approach to programming and presentation. With a technique that blends virtuosity?and?entrancing musical finesse, Mari presents an innovative musical universe that knows no barriers between the music of such composers as Anna Meredith, Max Richter,?Hannah Peel, Caroline Shaw, Arvo?Pärt,?Peteris?Vasks?and Jeff Mills,?and that of Bach, Phillip Glass, Beethoven and Vivaldi.?Her?drive?to not?do?what is traditionally expected, is what has turned?Mari Samuelsen?into an inspiration for a global audience.

Mari?has appeared as soloist?and recitalist?on many of the world’s leading stages, including New York’s?Carnegie Hall, the Hollywood Bowl, London’s Barbican Centre, Berlin’s Konzerthaus?and Paris’?Philharmonie?and?Théâtre?des?Champs-Elysées.?She has recently performed with the?Orchestre National de Lyon, with appearances at the Berlin Philharmonie and Hamburg Elbphilharmonie, as well as the Radio France Festival in Montpellier.

Recent and upcoming highlights has seen?Mari Samuelsen perform with the Frankfurt Radio Orchestra alongside Alice Merton, returns to the BBC Concert Orchestra in London, as well as performances in Spain at the Palau de la Música in Barcelona, Amsterdam’s Concertgebouw, Bratislava, Slovakia with Slovak Philharmonia at Viva Musica! Festival; Ottawa, Canada, and visits to CC Hasselt and Leuven, Belgium with Casco Philharmonic.

In terms of collaborations, she regularly?works?with the British composer, Max Richter, as a soloist in?concert?performances of both his Recomposed and Memoryhouse, as well as on his recent Deutsche Grammophon album, Voices.?Mari?Samuelsen’s?recent work?also?includes collaborations with electronic music artists Jeff Mills and?Dubfire?and multimedia artist Philipp Geist. Her?ground-breaking explorations of contemporary art and classical music?as?artistic director of Oslo’s Yellow Lounge?for its first two seasons?reaffirm her position as an innovative artist who is reaching out to new audiences.

Mari is an exclusive Deutsche Grammophon artist. 2022 marks the release of her second album for the distinctive Yellow Label, named LYS, meaning “light” in Norwegian features new commissions for her from the likes of Hannah Peel, Anna Meredith, Laura Massoto and MEREDI as well as existing works from Caroline Shaw and Hildur Guðnadóttir. In 2019 she released?MARI,?her debut recording, and was lauded by Gramophone magazine for her?‘Seriously impressive playing…hand-crafted precision.’?As well as dominating the classical charts, MARI and her previous albums were also number 1 hits in the popular charts in her home county of Norway.

Her presence, popularity and the impact of her music among new?audiences?is astonishing,?having reached 34?million?views in her YouTube video of?Summer?from Vivaldi’s The Four Seasons?alone.?Mari Samuelsen?also has recorded?the?world premiere of James Horner’s double concerto for violin, cello and orchestra?with her brother, Håkon Samuelsen,?as the?centrepiece of?Pas de Deux,?released on Mercury Classics (Universal Music).?Very unusual for classical recordings, this album along-side?with her first solo recording?Nordic Noir?as well as the 2019 release?MARI?were hits in the Norwegian pop? charts (reaching the No.1 and No.2 spots respectively).

A classically trained violinist, her studies with?Arve?Tellefsen?and later at the Barratt Due Institute of Music in Oslo were followed by a decade with world-renowned professor Zakhar?Bron?at the Zurich University of the Arts.