Already at the age of 8, Elisabeth Holmertz made up her mind to become a singer. Her goal was to become an opera singer, stand on stage in fancy costumes, and sing otherworldly, beautiful music. Her path took her through music lessons, a music high school, musicology studies, a conservatory (Oslo), and a conservatory again (Cologne). Somewhere, the dream of becoming an opera singer waned and was transformed into becoming “just” a singer. This singer found her voice mainly in the improvisational music of the 17th century and the complex music of today. There, in the span between these extremes, she finds balance. Or better, she jumps between genres, styles, and expressions: singing not only lute songs and baroque opera, but experimental opera and avant-garde contemporary music. She has been a soloist with Concerto Copenhagen, Cikada, both the Norwegian and Danish Broadcasting Orchestras, and Utomjordisk, but most of all she cherishes her own projects: Ensemble oddSize, who, among other things, performs a version of Handel’s Messiah for only four musicians; crossing the boundaries between new and old in Vollen United with Kenneth Karlsson, and ongoing collaborations with flute and drum artist Poul Høxbro and lutenist Fredrik Bock. Elisabeth also sings in Rolf Erik Nyström’s ensemble, Oriental Winds of the Baroque, which explores the origins of European music. Elisabeth is working on a PhD in artistic research at the Norwegian Academy of Music. Photos: Anna-Julia Granberg