Tine Thing Helseth is back with a new release – "Seraph" – this time together with Ensemble Allegria.

Helseth and Allegria have had a close association for many years and have appeared together at the Bergen International Festival, the Northern Lights Festival in Tromso, the Oslo Chamber Music Festival, and on the main stage at the Norwegian National Opera.

This release features works for trumpet and string orchestra by composers from Norway and abroad, with the first four written for this instrumentation, while the last three were arranged by Jarle Storløkken.

"'Seraph' is an album I have wanted to record for a long time, both because of the repertoire and the ensemble I'm playing with. I studied together with these musicians and many are good friends I've known for a long time. This makes it all the more rewarding, fun and inspiring to play together!

"It is important to record new music, and on this album I play two trumpet concertos written by composers I've worked with myself. The title track 'Seraph' by James MacMillan is a wonderful blend of splendid melodies and suggestive and aggressive sections. The Concerto for trumpet and strings by the American composer Eric Ewazen is a work that captures the 'American sound', and it both enchants and captivates the listener each time I perform it. The recording also features some of my favourite smaller pieces by Rolf Wallin, Alexander Arutiunian, Francis Poulenc, Edvard Grieg and Erik Satie."

Since the beginning of her career, Tine Thing Helseth has been challenging the boundaries of genre with an intensely creative, open-minded philosophy and has championed the trumpet repertoire, meriting the highest critical praise for her soulful, lyrical sound and collaborative approach to music-making. She has been the recipient of numerous awards.

"I have no idea if Helseth and Nordstoga are regular recital partners but on this evidence, musically at least, they sound as though they are joined at the hip." – Gramophone ("Magical Memories", LWC1216)