Åsa Hjelm

Meet the Musicians

I wanted to be a veterinarian when I was little, but ever since I graduated from music college in 1988, I’ve worked exclusively as a musician. Before studying music, I worked for two years as an assistant at a special education school.

The violin was my primary instrument throughout my studies at the Ingesund School of Music, but even then I began playing the viola in chamber music settings.

I started playing the violin when I was 8 years old. I remember that I had been playing for two semesters when it was time for my very first performance on the violin. It was in Ludvika, together with my teacher, who accompanied me on guitar as we played “Fjäriln vingad syns på Haga” on the main stage at Folkets hus. When I returned there 17 years later, during a tour with the Värmland Opera, and looked up at the walls from the ditch below, I recognized the place and immediately remembered just how special it had felt.

After graduating in 1988 from the Ingesund School of Music, I worked as a freelancer for a couple of years. “Mozart”—as the stage manager here at the Norrlands Opera was called back then (his real name was Gunnar)—called me while I was at a gig in Falun during Christmas ’88. They were planning to stage *Faust* in the spring of ’89 in Umeå. Could I join them? I said yes. I liked the atmosphere in the orchestra right away. And I felt so well taken care of.

The opportunity to perform opera, symphonic music, and chamber music all in one place was appealing. Plus, Umeå felt just the right size as a city. I accepted everything that was offered here after that spring. And a year later, when “Mozart” was replaced by a younger stage manager, Stefan Thysk, I was even happier. He turned out to be “the man of my life.” I auditioned when the Sinfonietta expanded into a symphony orchestra in 1991 and needed more violinists. I got a permanent position and have stayed ever since.

I especially remember the concert when we inaugurated the concert hall in 2002—it was truly special. Finally, we didn’t have to tour our own city anymore and had a stage of our own! It felt so incredibly good.

When there was a shortage of violists in the orchestra here, I offered to fill in on that part. For many years, I switched back and forth between the violin and the viola, but since the spring of 2020, I’ve been playing the viola full-time.

What I like best about my job is the variety. I’d love to have something new on the music stand every week! But at home in my room, I can really get into Bach’s Six Suites for Solo Cello. They work perfectly well on the viola, too. I’m so fascinated by the fact that it’s even possible to bring all the components of a symphony orchestra together at all! From the audience, I’ve felt both smug and proud that “my” orchestra sounds so good!

In addition to my position in the Norrlandsoperan Symphony Orchestra, I play with my colleagues Kersti Wilhelmsson, Per-Erik Andersson, and Kerstin Isakson in the “Avatar Quartet,” which has done lots of fun projects and tours. I’ve also occasionally filled in and played some Irish pub music with my husband Stefan’s band.

One of my dreams is to play in some kind of performance with Björn Skifs. I’ve been dreaming about that ever since I was a child and he bought his first trumpet from my dad in Ludvika.