Miriam Helms Ålien

Miriam Helms Ålien is a Norwegian violinist recognized as one of the most compelling young artists of her generation. Born in Alta, northern Norway, she began violin at age 6½ and made her solo debut at 8. She has since performed with orchestras in Norway, Germany, Israel, Denmark, Italy, the Czech Republic, and Russia. Recent appearances include the Trondheim Symphony Orchestra, Schweizer Camerata at KKL Lucerne, and festivals such as the Berlin Konzerthaus, Liszt Academy in Budapest, and Bergen Festival. She is the founder and artistic director of FESTIVALTA, the northernmost international chamber music festival. She has played with ensembles such as the Norwegian Radio Orchestra, Bergen Philharmonic, Arctic Philharmonic, and Czech Philharmonic Orchestra Pardubice. As a chamber musician, she has performed alongside András Schiff, Gidon Kremer, Tabea Zimmermann, Radovan Vlatković, and Steven Isserlis. Winner of numerous awards including the Princess Astrid Music Prize (2012) and the EMCY Grand Prix, she studied at Kronberg Academy under Prof. Ana Chumachenco and Tabea Zimmermann. She plays a 1689 Stradivarius violin, on loan from ASAF.