Mari Samuelsen (Mari Silje Samuelsen) is a Norwegian violinist born (in
Hamar, Norway) on December 21, 1984. She
is well-known for having the most views for one of Vivaldi’s Four Seasons
concertos on YouTube – more than 31,729,000.* (Please see updates below.) That is probably a record for a classical musician on YouTube. It is a really superb performance. The video is posted on Samuelsen's own channel on YouTube which has 97 thousand subscribers. However, although she is a supremely gifted
artist and technically brilliant, her discography is truly tiny – the reasons for
that, as far as I know, are a mystery. She
began violin lessons at age 3 then began studying with Norwegian violinist and
teacher Arve Tellefsen from age four.
After about ten years, she began studying with Stephan Barratt Due in Oslo. She also later studied with well-known
pedagogue Zakhar Bron in Switzerland. In
addition, she attended masterclasses with Ivry Gitlis, Ana Chumachenco, Midori,
Donald Weilerstein, Pamela Frank, and Robert Mann. Samuelsen’s career is well-established in
Europe although she has performed in several venues in the US as well. She has also played with several major
orchestras led by high profile conductors in some of the world’s great concert
halls. As far as I know, she has never entered any violin competitions. On August 25, 2016, Samuelsen and
her cellist brother (with whom she frequently performs as a duo) gave the
American premiere (with the Los Angeles Philharmonic) of a work for violin and
cello by the late film composer James Horner.
Samuelsen plays a 1773 Guadagnini violin on loan from a Norwegian
foundation. Here is one YouTube video of
hers (Vivaldi) and here is another (variations on the theme God Save the King
by Adrien Servais and Joseph Ghys.)
