Truls Mørk
Encyclopedia
Truls Olaf Otterbech Mørk (born 25 April 1961) is a Norwegian
cellist
.
Mørk was born in Bergen, Norway, the son of two professional musician
s, his father a cellist and his mother a pianist
. His mother began teaching him the piano when he was seven. He also played the violin
, but soon switched to the cello, taking lessons from his father.
Mørk began his studies with Frans Helmerson at 17 at the renowned Edsberg Music Institute. An admirer of Mstislav Rostropovich
and the Russia
n school of cello, Mørk went on to study with the Russian cellist Natalia Shakhovskaya
.
In 1982, Mørk became the first Scandinavian musician to reach the finals of the Tchaikovsky Competition
in Moscow
and won 6th Prize. He subsequently went on to win 2nd prize at the 1986 Naumburg Competition
in New York
and, in 1986, the Cassado Cello Competition in Florence
. In 1989, he embarked on his first major concert tour, soloing with many of the finest orchestras of Europe
. In 1994, he toured the United States
with the Oslo Philharmonic, including debuts at Carnegie Hall
and the Kennedy Center.
At present, Mørk is large in the international concert scene. His extensive discography spans from a Grammy-award-winning recording of the Shostakovich Cello Concertos to a critically acclaimed recording of Bach's Suites for Solo Cello. Mørk's passionate interest in chamber music
led to the foundation of the International Chamber Music Festival of Stavanger
.
Mørk holds a Professorship at the Norwegian Academy of Music, Oslo.
Mørk plays a rare Domenico Montagnana
cello (Venice
, 1723), the scroll of which was made by Stradivarius
. Valued at around 12 million NOK
it once belonged to a Belgian gentleman who named it the "Esquire". It was bought by a bank in Norway (SR Bank), and is on loan to him.
, presumably caused by a tick
bite he received in the United States in 2006, with subsequent encephalitis
, and paralysis
in the shoulder muscles of the left arm. In the autumn of 2009 he expressed concern that he might never be able to perform again. As of January 2011, Mørk is back on stage, returning also to the studio with a recording of concertos by C. P. E. Bach.
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
cellist
Cello
The cello is a bowed string instrument with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is a member of the violin family of musical instruments, which also includes the violin, viola, and double bass. Old forms of the instrument in the Baroque era are baryton and viol .A person who plays a cello is...
.
Mørk was born in Bergen, Norway, the son of two professional musician
Musician
A musician is an artist who plays a musical instrument. It may or may not be the person's profession. Musicians can be classified by their roles in performing music and writing music.Also....* A person who makes music a profession....
s, his father a cellist and his mother a pianist
Piano
The piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
. His mother began teaching him the piano when he was seven. He also played the violin
Violin
The violin is a string instrument, usually with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is the smallest, highest-pitched member of the violin family of string instruments, which includes the viola and cello....
, but soon switched to the cello, taking lessons from his father.
Mørk began his studies with Frans Helmerson at 17 at the renowned Edsberg Music Institute. An admirer of Mstislav Rostropovich
Mstislav Rostropovich
Mstislav Leopoldovich Rostropovich, KBE , known to close friends as Slava, was a Soviet and Russian cellist and conductor. He was married to the soprano Galina Vishnevskaya. He is widely considered to have been the greatest cellist of the second half of the 20th century, and one of the greatest of...
and the Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
n school of cello, Mørk went on to study with the Russian cellist Natalia Shakhovskaya
Natalia Shakhovskaya
Natalia Shakhovskaya is a Russian cellist. She studied cello at the Gnessin School of Music and later at the Moscow Conservatory under the tutorship of S. Kosolupov...
.
In 1982, Mørk became the first Scandinavian musician to reach the finals of the Tchaikovsky Competition
International Tchaikovsky Competition
The International Tchaikovsky Competition is a classical music competition held every four years in Moscow, Russia for pianists, violinists, and cellists between 16 and 30 years of age, and singers between 19 and 32 years of age...
in Moscow
Moscow
Moscow is the capital, the most populous city, and the most populous federal subject of Russia. The city is a major political, economic, cultural, scientific, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the continent...
and won 6th Prize. He subsequently went on to win 2nd prize at the 1986 Naumburg Competition
Walter W. Naumburg Foundation
The Walter W. Naumburg Foundation sponsors competitions and provides awards for young classical musicians in North America. It was founded in 1925 by Walter Wehle Naumburg, a wealthy amateur cellist and son of noted New York music patron and philanthropist Elkan Naumburg. Elkan Naumburg, owner of...
in New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
and, in 1986, the Cassado Cello Competition in Florence
Florence
Florence is the capital city of the Italian region of Tuscany and of the province of Florence. It is the most populous city in Tuscany, with approximately 370,000 inhabitants, expanding to over 1.5 million in the metropolitan area....
. In 1989, he embarked on his first major concert tour, soloing with many of the finest orchestras of Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
. In 1994, he toured the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
with the Oslo Philharmonic, including debuts at Carnegie Hall
Carnegie Hall
Carnegie Hall is a concert venue in Midtown Manhattan in New York City, United States, located at 881 Seventh Avenue, occupying the east stretch of Seventh Avenue between West 56th Street and West 57th Street, two blocks south of Central Park....
and the Kennedy Center.
At present, Mørk is large in the international concert scene. His extensive discography spans from a Grammy-award-winning recording of the Shostakovich Cello Concertos to a critically acclaimed recording of Bach's Suites for Solo Cello. Mørk's passionate interest in chamber music
Chamber music
Chamber music is a form of classical music, written for a small group of instruments which traditionally could be accommodated in a palace chamber. Most broadly, it includes any art music that is performed by a small number of performers with one performer to a part...
led to the foundation of the International Chamber Music Festival of Stavanger
Stavanger
Stavanger is a city and municipality in the county of Rogaland, Norway.Stavanger municipality has a population of 126,469. There are 197,852 people living in the Stavanger conurbation, making Stavanger the fourth largest city, but the third largest urban area, in Norway...
.
Mørk holds a Professorship at the Norwegian Academy of Music, Oslo.
Mørk plays a rare Domenico Montagnana
Domenico Montagnana
Domenico Montagnana was an Italian master luthier based in Venice, Italy. He is regarded as one of the world's finest violin and cello makers of his time....
cello (Venice
Venice
Venice is a city in northern Italy which is renowned for the beauty of its setting, its architecture and its artworks. It is the capital of the Veneto region...
, 1723), the scroll of which was made by Stradivarius
Stradivarius
The name Stradivarius is associated with violins built by members of the Stradivari family, particularly Antonio Stradivari. According to their reputation, the quality of their sound has defied attempts to explain or reproduce, though this belief is controversial...
. Valued at around 12 million NOK
Norwegian krone
The krone is the currency of Norway and its dependent territories. The plural form is kroner . It is subdivided into 100 øre. The ISO 4217 code is NOK, although the common local abbreviation is kr. The name translates into English as "crown"...
it once belonged to a Belgian gentleman who named it the "Esquire". It was bought by a bank in Norway (SR Bank), and is on loan to him.
Illness
In April 2009, Mørk experienced an infection of the central nervous systemCentral nervous system
The central nervous system is the part of the nervous system that integrates the information that it receives from, and coordinates the activity of, all parts of the bodies of bilaterian animals—that is, all multicellular animals except sponges and radially symmetric animals such as jellyfish...
, presumably caused by a tick
Tick
Ticks are small arachnids in the order Ixodida, along with mites, constitute the subclass Acarina. Ticks are ectoparasites , living by hematophagy on the blood of mammals, birds, and sometimes reptiles and amphibians...
bite he received in the United States in 2006, with subsequent encephalitis
Encephalitis
Encephalitis is an acute inflammation of the brain. Encephalitis with meningitis is known as meningoencephalitis. Symptoms include headache, fever, confusion, drowsiness, and fatigue...
, and paralysis
Paralysis
Paralysis is loss of muscle function for one or more muscles. Paralysis can be accompanied by a loss of feeling in the affected area if there is sensory damage as well as motor. A study conducted by the Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation, suggests that about 1 in 50 people have been diagnosed...
in the shoulder muscles of the left arm. In the autumn of 2009 he expressed concern that he might never be able to perform again. As of January 2011, Mørk is back on stage, returning also to the studio with a recording of concertos by C. P. E. Bach.