Nilsson, Elsa

Violinist from Anoka, Minnesota, who grew up in a musical family: She and her sisters, Kristina and Jenny Lind, were taught violin by their grandpa; Their mother, Orrell, was a pianist.

Elsa attended the Curtis Institute of Music and the Interlochen Center for the arts, and studied under Ivan Galamian, Jamie Laredo and Paul Makanowitzky.

Groups with whom she has worked include Ensemble Capriccio, the Lake Wobegon String Quartet, the Minneapolis Artists Ensemble, the Minneapolis Philharmonic Orchestra, the Minnesota Bach Ensemble, the Minnesota Chamber Players, the Minnesota Orchestra, Musical Offering, the Nilsson Quartet the Pennsylvania Ballet Orchestra, the Pittsburgh Chamber Players, the Pittsburgh Symphony, the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra, and the Symphony Orchestra of the Pacific.

On 27^th July 1993, she was one of several musicians to interpret Michael Daugherty’s new composition, “Dead Elvis”, at Ted Mann Concert Hall.

The Lake Wobegon String Quartet appeared on A Prairie Home Companion on 27^th January 1996, where they performed on “Anoka, the Home of My Dreams (Vienna, City of My Dreams”, “Blue Skirt Waltz/Du, du, liegst mir en Herzen/Tell Me Why”, La Influenza, “Plaisir d’Amor”, “String Quartet” by Claude Debussy, and excerpts from string quartets #s 11 & 13 by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.

On 28^th June 2003, the Nilsson Quartet visited A Prairie Home Companion, where they accompanied on “Campfire Conversation”, “Guy Noir Theme”, “Majesty of the West”, “My Love is Like a Red Red Rose”, “Powdermilk Biscuit Theme”, “Red River Valley (Housatonic Valley)”, “Summertime”, “Tishomingo Blues”, “Train Time”, “What’ll I Do?” and “Whoo-Pee Ti Yi Yo (Git Along, Little Dogies)”.

Members of the SPCO interpreted Johann Sebastian Bach’s “Brandenburg Concertos” on 14^th, 15^th & 16^th December 2007.

Recordings on which Elsa appears include: Bach with the Minnesota Chamber Players; Just for You by Gladys Knight; Lake Wobegon U.S.A. by Garrison Keillor; Moon Country by Prudence Johnson; Morten Lauridsen: Mid-Winter Songs by The Singers; Open My Heart by Yolanda Adams; Provocative by Johnny Gill; Rainbow by Mariah Carey; Rhythm Nation 1814 by Janet Jackson; Trumpet Works by Gary Bordner; The Winds of Christmastide with the Minneapolis Philharmonic Orchestra; and Winter Morning Walks by the Australian Chamber Orchestra, the SPCO, Maria Schneider & Dawn Upshaw.

In the field of music education, she has served on the faculties of the Curtis Institute of Music and the Meadowmount School.

She performs here…

Sources:

Nilsson, Elsa

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