Tine Thing Helseth is not just a world-class trumpeter but also a coffee snob, knitting enthusiast, and LEGO fan. Photo / Anna-Julia Granberg
Tine Thing Helseth is not just a world-class trumpeter but also a coffee snob, knitting enthusiast, and LEGO fan. Photo / Anna-Julia Granberg
Norway-based musician Tine Thing Helseth has travelled the world and is coming to NZ this month to perform The Herald’s Premier Series: Totally Trumpet. Here, she shares her best travel tips and hails the many attributes of her hometown, Oslo
Please introduce yourself and what brings you to NZ shores
I’m a Norwegian trumpet soloist who gets to travel for work and play music. I also love knitting, I’m a coffee snob, a Lego enthusiast and I love video games (Zelda and Hogwarts Legacy at the moment). I’m coming to Auckland to play with the Auckland Philharmonia.
What are you most looking forward to about performing in New Zealand?
I’m excited to visit New Zealand for the first time. And of course, to play with your great orchestra. It’s always nice to meet people in a new place and experience an atmosphere with a new audience.
Of all the places you’ve played across the world, which destinations are your favourite?
That’s a very hard question to answer. There are so many wonderful places in the world. New York is absolutely a favourite, Singapore is amazing, Tokyo and London are also incredible cities. I’m also a fan of the smaller places I get to see and experience, places I wouldn’t go if it wasn’t for my work, like playing 3000 metres above sea level in the Dolomites.
Tokyo is one of the cities the Norwegian trumpeter is most fond of, but she also treasures the lesser-known destinations she visits. Photo / 123rf
You’re the Artistic Director of Risør Chamber Music Festival – what is it, where is it and what makes it special?
Risør is quite simply one of the most amazing places ever! A charming small town with white houses by the sea on the south coast of Norway. I’m so lucky that I get to be the artistic leader of Risør Chamber Music Festival - held over the last week of June every year. It’s a chamber music festival, and we fill the whole town with different types of music and world-class artists from all around the world. Classical concerts in the church, intimate concerts in people’s living rooms, outside in gardens and on street corners. The sun is nearly always shining, and ice cream is a must.
What do you like most about living in Oslo?
It’s basically my home town, I’ve grown up here and I’ll always feel very safe here. It’s a small and a big city at the same time. My husband and I live in the city centre and can walk almost everywhere, but it’s still filled with so much great food and culture.
What things would you recommend a first-time visitor to do in Oslo?
You have the normal touristy things of course, but I would recommend a walk around Grunerlokka for great coffee and food. The National Museum, Munch Museum and National Library Deichman are incredible buildings. And if the weather is nice, then take the ferry to some of the small islands by the harbour.
Musican Tine Thing Helseth is based in Olso, Norway. Photo / Unsplash
What is something a lot of people don’t know about Norway?
That’s a hard question. Maybe that we all speak almost fluent English and that the most common take-away food is sushi.
As a frequent global traveller, do you have any top tips for stress-free travel?
An eye mask and noise-cancelling headphones are a must. There’s nothing like some silence now and then. I like to google the best coffee places wherever I am, then I get to experience different parts of the place I go to. I always make sure I have enough water and snacks on the go.
What do you miss the most about home when you’re touring internationally?
Norwegian trumpet soloist Tine Thing Helseth shares her love for travel and music ahead of her Auckland Philharmonia debut. Photo / Anna-Julia Granberg
This month, Tine Thing Helseth will be making her NZ debut for Auckland Philharmonia’s The New Zealand Herald Premier Series: Totally Trumpet.
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The New Zealand Herald Premier Series: Totally Trumpet
