Hello Tromsø! The string trio Chartreuse devoted winter term to touring Norway with a new music program that included the premiere of Migration Study by Oberlin Assistant Pro-
Chartreuse, on native ground: Myra Hinrichs, Helen Newby, and Carrie Frey (from left).
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fessor Peter Swendsen, with whom the three students worked closely in preparation. For 10 days, senior violinist Myra Hinrichs, senior cellist Helen Newby, and junior violist Carrie Frey performed in a variety of settings from Oslo, to Hamar, to Tromsø—and they came away flattered by the
response they received and impressed by the musical IQ of their audiences. (The Norwegian arts scene is rich in part due to government support for artists. It is possible, for example, to live in Norway as a composer without
necessarily needing a teaching job or other means of support. Indeed, the career advice the trio received from many Norwegians was: “First, move to Norway.”) Through their experience, Hinrichs, Newby, and Frey learned firsthand how to work with venues, arrange transportation and
lodging, and coordinate schedules, among other tasks related to organizing a tour. They even recorded their Oslo performance, which can be accessed at http:// soundcloud.com/ chartreuse4tet. They hope to tour again someday, perhaps including a return trip to Norway.