Kristin Mellem

Kristin Mellem (born March 21, 1965) is a Norwegian musician (violin), composer and conductor, known from Nord-Norge's musical scene.

She was educated at Nordnorsk Music Conservatory and Bergen Music Conservatory (1984-90), has worked as a violin teacher in Balsfjord, Bergen, Hadsel, and Tromsø. Furthermore, she has been named regional musician and conducter of the Vesterålen Symphony Orchestra, part of the Nordnorsk Chamber Orchestra (1987-97), Tromsø Symphony Orchestra (1993-), associated with Hålogaland Teater ("Spellemann på taket", 2002) and the National Concerts (1997-2000). Mellem has contributed to the Eventyr festival in Tromsø since 1998, toured with Boknakaran (2001-02), and contributed on releases with "Moya på Tvoya".

With the Tromsø Symphony Orchestra she composed the performance "Reiser gjennom tid" ("Travels through time"), (2002). For the Nordlys festival in 2004 she composed the production "Stemmemøte" ("Meeting of voices") with Solveig Kringlebotn and Ingor Ánte Áilo Gaup (joik); together with Gaup, "Jeddehus" was released the following year and nominated for the Edvard award. In cooperation with Bjørn Andor Drage she composed and presented fiddle melodies with the Tromsø Symphony Orchestra in the production "Armon Lapset" - "Nådens barn" (2004). The other musicians were Finn Sletten (percussion) and Sigmund Lillebjerka (violin), along with joik singer Inga Juuso.

Since 2003 she has led "Vajas" (English: Echo) with Nils Johansen (synthesizer) from Bel Canto and Ánde Somby (joik). Their debut was with Nana Urfolksdager in 2003, and have since toured internationally.

External links

* [http://www.vajas.info/infoENG.htm vajas.info]
* [http://www.mellems.com/indexENG.htm mellems.com]

Mellem has a child, born in 2005, with Somby. Somby has two children from a former marriage, and Mellem has children from another relationship too. Mellem and Somby live in Krokelvdalen, Norway.