NRK has revealed the eight young musicians who will be competing in the semi-final of Virtuous 2018, the Norwegian selection process for Eurovision Young Musicians 2018.
The Norwegian national broadcaster has revealed the eight young musicians who will be competing to represent Norway in Edinburgh this summer. The eight hopefuls are:
- Gustav Rørmark – 18 – violin
- Amalie Marie Thing Helseth- 17 – violin
- Oda Holt Günther – 18 – violin
- Nikita Khnykin – 15 – piano
- Benjamin Lund Tomter – 18 – cello
- August Schieldrop – 18 – tuba
- Birgitta Elisa Oftestad – 15 – cello
- Maria Felicia Strømsted – 17 – violin
The rules of the competition are as follows:
- Performers cannot have been born before 1999
- Two pieces which are a 15 minutes long must be submitted
- The two pieces should be from two different time points
The final of Virtuos 2018 will be held in April, with the winner not only representing Norway at Eurovision Young Musicians 2018, but also walking away with prize money of 100,000 NOK (10,500 Euro).
NRK has used Virtuos to select the Norwegian participant in Eurovision Young Musicians since 2006, the format has seen Norway take victory at the 2012 contest in Vienna, Austria. In 2016 Norway was represented by 17-year-old Ludvig Gudim who performed Carmen Fantasie by Franz Waxman, he did not place within the top three.
The semi-final of Virtuous 2018 takes place tomorrow evening. Anyone is welcome to attend the show, with tickets available for free here.
Source: NRK
What is Eurovision Young Musicians?
Eurovision Young Musicians has been held bi-annually since 1982. The contest was based on the format of The BBC Young Musician of the Year in the United Kingdom. Performers in the contest must be aged under 18 years and are selected by their participating broadcaster. Each performer performs a piece of classical music of their choice accompanied by the local orchestra. The winner is decided by a jury made up of classical music experts and talents.
