Trumpet Virtuoso

At 26 years old, Tine Thing Helseth is already one of the world’s leading trumpet players. She started playing at the age of 7 and is now at the height of her career. In addition to playing with the world’s best symphonic orchestras and as a soloist, Helseth started her own brass ensemble, tenThing, made up of 10 of her close friends.


We had the pleasure of featuring her in the May issue of Viking magazine. Here is more from our interview.

Viking: When did you start playing the trumpet, and how did you become interested in music?
Tine Thing Helseth: I started to play the trumpet when I was 7 years old. I had played a bit piano since I was 5. The moment I took my first note on the trumpet, I felt like we were best friends. And we still are! It's my voice. My mother had a good friend who played in the Norwegian Opera Orchestra, and she was my first teacher. I also played in the local school band.

Viking: What do you like doing in your leisure time?
Tine Thing Helseth: I like being with my friends and family. I am a very social person. I like cooking dinner with my friends, going out, singing karaoke or just going for a stroll. Right now I am learning German. I also read and watch a lot of television series when I’m on the road.

Helseth will be on tour this year in the United States and in Europe. This week, she’s performing with the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra from May 24-25 in Fort Worth, Texas. Keep an eye on her tour schedule.

In 2013, Helseth launched her own music festival, called tine@munch, where she and her famous musicians friends give amazing performances at The Munch Museum in Oslo. This year, tine@munch runs from June 12-14.

Anya Britzius is editor of Viking magazine. She lives in Minneapolis, Minn., and enjoys baking, reading and keeping up on modern Norwegian trends.