Ingeborg Fimreite

Ingeborg Fimreite was born in Tromsø and grew up in a music-loving family in Drøbak.

− My older brother played the guitar and had a large record collection, and my older sister played the piano around the clock, she says.

− Almost gave up on the violin

It was one of her present colleagues who gave her an extra boost on her way to becoming a violinist:

− I almost gave up on violin playing for a while, but then I heard Elise Båtnes play together with Arve Tellefsen on TV. I was inspired all over again to practice when I realised how good it could sound!

Since then, Ingeborg has drawn inspiration from teachers and study periods in several countries, among them courses in Helsinki and Finland.

− My violin teachers Ørnulf Boye Hansen and later Magnus Ericsson have probably had the biggest influence, but so have many others I have played with. I have learned lots from musicians who play Baroque music as well as from colleagues in the Oslo Philharmonic and in the Norwegian Chamber Orchestra.

A great thing to be part of as an 18-year-old

She was engaged by the Oslo Philharmonic Orchestra in 1998, but her greatest experience with the orchestra may have arrived a few years earlier:

− The first time I was part of the Oslo Philharmonic I was eighteen years old and a substitute, and we went off on tour to Germany. Since I had never before been close to playing in any other orchestra on that level, this first meeting was in a way my greatest experience! Otherwise it’s always a wonderful thing to experience a good flow of communication between musicians, and of course between the audience and us, the performers!

Ingeborg is fond of a lot of different music in different styles, and has no favourite composer. She believes that an open-minded attitude is crucial to enjoying a concert:

− As a listener it’s a good idea to keep an open mind and not have any preconceptions, for isn’t the music supposed to express all facets of life, and not only reflect what is comfortable and beautiful?

In her free time, Ingeborg Fimreite enjoys spending time with her friends and family. She likes to exercise, cooking, a glass of wine, reading and listening to music.