The art of Singing and Elisabeth Holmertz chose each other after an 8-year-old Elisabeth saw Rossini’s La Cenerentola at the Grand Theatre in her hometown of Gothenburg. Her goal and dream was to become an opera singer, stand on stage in fancy costumes, and sing otherworldly, beautiful music. The path was a pretty straight one, through music lessons, music high school, musicology studies, a conservatory (Oslo), and a conservatory again (Cologne). Somewhere, the dream of becoming an opera singer waned and was transformed into becoming “just” a singer and, later, an “Actor Singer” – a singer who also acts, but not necessarily on the opera stage.
As a young and a little bit lost singer she met Henrik Hellstenius for the first time in 2005 when she sang the title role in his opera Ophelias: Death by Water Singing. Here she was challenged to go beyond classical vocal ideals and experiment with different techniques and theatrical expressions, things she’s carried with her for the rest of her career.
She also found her voice mainly in the improvisational music of the 17th century and the complex music of today. It’s there, in the space between these extremes, she balances. Or better, she jumps between genres, styles, and expressions: singing not only lute songs and baroque opera, but experimental opera, opera for babies, and avant-garde contemporary music.
She has been a soloist with Concerto Copenhagen, Cikada, and both the Norwegian and Danish Broadcasting Orchestras, however she cherishes most her own projects: ensemble Odd Size, who, among other things, performs a version of Handel’s Messiah for only four musicians; crossing the boundaries between new and old in Vollen United with Kenneth Karlsson; ongoing collaborations with flute and drum artist Poul Høxbro and lutenist Fredrik Bock; and new music and improvisation with harpist Sunniva Rødland and percussionist Sigrun Rogstad Gomnæs. Elisabeth also sings in Rolf Erik Nyström’s ensemble, Oriental Winds of the Baroque, which explores the origins of European baroque music. We should also mention here her close collaboration with composers such as Rolf Wallin, Rebecka Ahvenniemi, Jenny Hettne, Tansy Davies, Julian Skar, Maja Ratkje, and Eivind Buene, among others.
In 2020 she completed a PhD in artistic research at The Norwegian Academy of Music. Here she explored her own varied artistic roles, while striving to expand the boundaries of what is expected from a classically trained soprano by performing all the roles in Monteverdi’s opera, L’Orfeo.
On this recording Hellstenius and Holmertz have continued the work they started in 2005.

Cikada has been a key player on the Nordic contemporary music scene since its formation in 1989. Never afraid to follow its own path, the ensemble continues to renew itself through astute, innovative programming, and the ever-present desire to let audiences experience some of the best music of our time.
The ensemble has since the outset consisted of ten permanent members: flute, clarinet, piano, percussion, string quintet and conductor. It performs at prestigious festivals such as Donaueschinger Musiktage, Huddersfield Contemporary Music Festival, Klangspuren Schwaz, Sacrum Profanum, Wittener Tage für Neue Kammermusik, Bergen International Festival, Warszaw Autumn, ECLAT Stuttgart and the Ultima Festival, of which it is a founding member.
Over the years Cikada has commissioned and premiered 200 works by some of today’s leading composers both internationally and from Norway. This includes collaborations with composers such as Carola Bauckholt, Richard Barrett, Laurence Crane, James Dillon and Liza Lim, as well as recent commissions from Georg Friedrich Haas, Malin Bång, Clara Iannotta, and Klaus Lang. Cikada is also a strong protagonist for the many exciting voices of new Norwegian music, with large commissions and portrait concerts by Eivind Buene, Lars Petter Hagen, Jon Øivind Ness, Asbjørn Schaatun, Maja S.K. Ratkje, Rolf Wallin, and Kristine Tjøgersen to name a few.
Cikada has released numerous albums for ECM, LAWO Classics, Aurora and 2L among others, as well as appearing on several split albums and compilations. Their oeuvre has garnered accolades such as the Norwegian Grammy “Spellemannprisen”, the Edison Award and the prestigious Nordic Council’s Music Prize of 2005, in addition to several nominations.
Cikada is funded by the Norwegian Arts Council and Oslo Municipality.

On this recording: Ellen Ugelvik, piano Tanja Orning, cello Anders Førisdal, guitar Kristine Tjøgersen, clarinet Håkon Mørch Stene, percussion asamisimasa was founded in 2001 by musicians sharing a passion and interest in avant-garde music and its history. Since then, the ensemble has premiered numerous cross-media works especially written for them, often contextualized with classical repertoire and historical avant-garde work.
asamisimasa has collaborated with composers such as Helmut Lachenmann, Mathias Spahlinger, Nicolaus A. Huber, Aldo Clementi, Alvin Lucier, Brian Ferneyhough, Helmut Oehring, Clemens Gadenstätter, Klaus Lang, Johannes Kreidler, Joanna Bailie, and extensively with cross-media composers such as Simon Steen-Andersen, Øyvind Torvund, Martin Schüttler, Matthew Shlomowitz, and Trond Reinholdtsen.
Performances include Berlin Philharmonie – Debüt im Deutschlandradio Kultur, WDR Cologne, Darmstadt, Donaueschingen, Ultraschall, Ultima, Huddersfield, Rainy Days, Monday Evening Concerts LA, Other Minds Festival (San Francisco) Cutting Edge (London), Angelica and SPOR among others. Their first two recordings, with music by Simon Steen-Andersen (DK) and Øyvind Torvund (NO) were awarded the Norwegian Grammy (Spellemann) for best contemporary music record of the year. asamisimasa has also devoted full length albums to works by Laurence Crane, Matthew Shlomowitz and Trond Reinholdtsen.