Sonoko Miriam Welde is one of the most exciting young violinists to emerge from Norway in recent years. Born in Bergen in 1996 she made her debut with the Bergen Philharmonic aged nine and has since gone on to win the Norwegian Soloist Prize and Virtuos competition. She has been part of the Crescendo programme, where she was mentored by Janine Jansen and Leif Ove Andsnes, and a recipient of the Equinor Talent Prize. Sonoko’s appearances include concertos with Oslo Philharmonic Orchestra, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Bournemouth Symphony, Bergen Philharmonic, Norwegian Radio Orchestra, WDR Sinfonieorchester Köln, Combattimento Consort Amsterdam, Orchestre de Chambre de Lausanne, Kremerata Baltica, and Zagreb Soloists with conductors including Andrew Litton, James Gaffigan, Joshua Weilerstein, Han-Na Chang, Marta Gardolińska and Edward Gardner. An enthusiastic chamber musician, Sonoko has been championed by Leif Ove Andsnes, with whom she performs regularly, and has also worked with Tabea Zimmermann, Clemens Hagen, Alisa Weilerstein, Jonathan Biss and Janine Jansen. She is a founding member of Opus13 String Quartet. Since 2020 Sonoko has been a student of Janine Jansen at the Lausanne Music Conservatory. She plays a 1736 Antonio Stradivarius, the "Spencer Dyke", kindly on loan from Anders Sveaas Almennyttige Fond. Her debut album with the Oslo Philharmonic was released on November 19th from LAWO Classics. Artist photos: Nadia Norskott, Anna-Julia Granberg / BLUNDERBUSS