Sonoko Miriam Welde is the winner of the Norwegian Soloist Prize and the Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation’s competition “Virtuos”.
Since her first performance with the Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra at the age of nine, she has appeared as a soloist with the Norwegian Radio Orchestra, WDR Sinfonieorchester Köln, Combattimento Consort Amsterdam, Zagreb Soloists, Oslo Camerata, Ung Symfoni and the Estonian Chamber Orchestra with conductors including Andrew Litton, Rory Macdonald, Johannes Gustavsson and Peter Szilvay in concertos by Mendelssohn, Bruch, Bach and Mozart.
She has performed at venues including Tokyo Opera City Hall, Osaka Izumi Hall, Wigmore Hall, Grieg Hall Bergen and the Oslo Opera House.
An enthusiastic chamber musician, Sonoko Miriam has performed with many leading musicians, including Leif Ove Andsnes, Tabea Zimmermann, Clemens Hagen, and Itamar Golan and has been invited to many festivals for both chamber music and recitals, including Grachtenfestival Amsterdam, Bergen International Festival, ArtLink (Belgrade), Røros Vinterfestspill, Oslo Chamber Music Festival, the Bad Ragaz “Next Generation” Festival, the Harpa Festival (Reykjavik), Norsjø Chamber Music Festival.
Her principle teacher in recent years has been Prof. Stephan Barratt-Due and from April 2016 she studies with Prof. Kolja Blacher at the Hochschule für Musik Hanns Eisler, Berlin, while also regularly receiving lessons from violinist Vilde Frang.
Sonoko Miriam recently performed at the Oslo Philharmonic 2016 summer concert and has been chosen for their prestigious Crescendo mentoring programme, where she will be working with violinist Gidon Kremer. She returned to perform the Sibelius violin concerto with the Norwegian Radio Orchestra in Autumn 2016 as part of the “Virtuos” competition. She was also awarded the Statoil Talent 2016 Scholarship. Previous winners of the Statoil Talent Scholarship fund include fellow Norwegian artists Leif Ove Andsnes, Vilde Frang, Tine Thing Helseth and Christian Ihle Hadland.
Recent chamber recitals include performances at the Bergen International Festival with Sergio Tiempo and numerous appearances alongside Leif Ove Andsnes including his Rosendal Festival.
She opens the 17/18 Season performing the Barber violin concerto with Ed Gardner and the Bergen Philharmonic Youth Orchestra.
Sonoko Miriam plays a 1714 Alessandro Gagliano kindly on loan from Dextra Musica
This biography is for information only and should not be reproduced.
Sonoko Miriam Welde interview
Strad Magazine (October 2016)
Read the full interview here.
Brahms Piano Quartet in A major -alongside Leif Ove Andsnes, Tabea Zimmermann and Clemens Hagen
Oslo Opera House (April 2016)
Christian Tetzlaff was replaced by young Sonoko Miriam Welde , Virtuos winner of 2014 and this 19 year-old is already an established soloist . Welde convinced to such a degree that we quickly forgot that she was a substitute. We look forward to following her for many, many years to come.
Tori Skrede, Verdens Gang
One might think that such a young musician would be the weak link the ensemble, but instead, she made the concert one of those rare highlights… Andsnes, who had played the Brahms with her before, knew exactly what he was working with. She lifted the music to unpredictable heights and drove it to the final chord through a plethora of emotions.
Astrid Kvalbein, Aften Posten
Mozart Violin Concerto No. 3
Norwegian National Youth Orchestra (August 2014)
It was a delight to hear Welde's natural contact/relation with her instrument.
Magnus Andersson, Klassekampen
Bruch Violin Concerto at Virtuos Norwegian Broadcasting Competition
Norwegian Radio Orchestra (February 2014)
The winner demonstrates a physical and technical surplus and has a natural, effortless relationship with her instrument. She has a great understanding of the different characteristics of the piece - and shows a special ability for making music together with the orchestra and to capture the audience (and jury) with an infectious presence.
Virtuos Jury 2014
Sonoko Miriam Welde Chamber Repertoire
| J.S BACH | Partita No. 2 in D minor, BWV 1004 |
|---|---|
| BEETHOVEN | Sonata No. 1 in D major, Op. 12 |
| BRAHMS | Sonata No. 1 in G major, Op. 78 |
| CHAUSSON | Poème, Op. 25 |
| DEBUSSY | Sonata in G minor, L140 |
| DVORAK ARR. KREISLER | Songs My Mother Taught Me |
| ELGAR | Sonata in E minor, Op. 82 |
| GRIEG | Sonata No. 1 in F major, Op. 8 |
| HANDEL ARR. HALVORSEN | Passacaglia for Violin and Viola or Cello |
| KREISLER | Liebesleid, Tempo di Menuetto, etc |
| R. SCHUMANN | Sonata No. 1 in A minor, Op. 105 |
| SINDING | Suite in A minor, Op. 10 |
| THOMMESSEN | Cantabile (Etude-Cadenza) |
| YSAYE | Sonata No.4 in E Minor, “Fritz Kreisler” |
Sonoko Miriam Welde Concerto Repertoire
| J.S BACH | Concerto for Oboe and Violin in D minor, BWV 1060 |
|---|---|
| BARBER | Violin Concerto, Op. 14 |
| BRUCH | Violin Concerto in G minor, Op. 26 |
| MENDELSSOHN | Violin Concerto in E minor, Op. 64 |
| MOZART | Violin Concerto No. 3 in G major, K216 |
| PROKOFIEV | Violin Concerto No. 1 in D major, Op. 19 |
| SIBELIUS | Violin Concerto in D minor, Op. 47 |
| SINDING | Suite in A minor, Op. 10 |
| TCHAIKOVSKY | Souvenir d’un lieu cher, Op. 42 |
| VIVALDI | Four Seasons |
