BIO
About Helena Maria Falk
The violinist and composer Helena Maria Falk is a singular force in contemporary classical music, bringing warmth, play, and depth to her performances, scores, and varied collaborations.
Falk’s artistic imagination runs to the enduring human questions, such as how grief can fuel presence and even healing, and how unique individual expressions can create safe, shared spaces.
The light and dark of the Nordic landscape, where Falk grew up at the edge of a forest, is a primary influence. As a girl, she heard melodies in her head. When she discovered the violin, she was struck by the resonance between its characteristic sounds and her own interior melodies.
Falk’s primary purpose is to get to the emotional heart of music. And while she devotes herself to honest and soulful encounters with the deeper emotions, she wraps these feelings in beguiling melodies.
“I always look for beauty,” Falk says, “because it can bring us back to presence, even from grief or pain.”
Falk’s emphasis on presence shapes her individual practices and informs her collaborations. Presence means tending to her interiority without fear. It also means radical curiosity. She talks about a “magic in the room” when artists encounter one another.
After a bachelor’s degree at the Norwegian Academy of Music, and a masters degree and soloist diploma in violin performance from Royal Academy of Music in Stockholm, Falk toured the world with major orchestras and artists.
Some highlights include the Revival Tour with Eminem, as well as a European tour with the Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra and many engagements in Brazil. Her solo violin and original compositions have been soundtracks for the films Come Play and Leave, the video games Warhammer 3, and LEGO Drive, and the trailer for Apple+’s New Look, with Norah Jones.
Splitting time between Los Angeles and Oslo, falk is currently recording her original compositions with the Norwegian Radio Orchestra, as well as composing for film, television, and theatre. She is looking forward to her Carnegie Hall debut in October 2024.
Her recent honors as a composer and performer include nominations for the Cannes Sync Awards and the 2024 Hollywood Independent Music Awards. She won a Special Jury Award at the 2024 Amor Artium International Composition Contest and is the winner of Inter Continental Music Awards 2024 for Best Instrumental composition.
Falk is an active member of the Alliance for Women Film Composers and a voting member of the Recording Academy.
Praise for Helena Maria Falk
“Helena's virtuosity as a violinist is matched only by the warmth of her heart, infusing every note she plays with a depth of love and compassion. Her music resonates with the care and kindness she extends to the world, making each performance a true expression of her beautiful soul."
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- Eru Matsumoto, Grammy nominated cellist
"Helena evokes the mystical Nordic landscapes in compositions that immerse listeners in ancient narrative and total presence. I’ve seen audiences so emotionally connected to her music that they come to tears.”
- Christina Sandsengen, award winning classical guitarist
“As a composer, I’ve seen Helena bring life to my compositions so many times. Her rich tone, her professionalism, and the sheer force of her musicality bring my scores to a whole new level. When interpreting a piece, she naturally gets into the feel of it, and plays it as the composer intends it to sound. She leads teams of musicians as wonderfully as she plays. Working with her is one of the greatest experiences I’ve had as a composer and a musician.”
- Alan G. Frausto, composer, orchestrator and arranger
Photo art by @oyeblikk