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​ To begin, could you share how you first fell in love with music?

 

I don’t remember a single moment - it was always there. My mom played everything she loved, and I grew up with David Bowie, Kate Bush, Earth, Wind & Fire, opera (my mom loves opera - anything Italian), Danish artists like Det Brune Punktum, Sanne Salomonsen and Thomas Helmig, and bands like Savage Rose, Swan Lee and Creedence Clearwater Revival (my dad’s favorite), plus Pink Floyd and Queen (Love Queen!!!). I also played with old vinyls - there was even a tiny one from my grandmother with Louis Armstrong; she saw him live in Copenhagen in the 1940s and even got a little autograph. I’ve always had a great love for film music - since I was little I listened carefully to how composers built hero themes and arranged the orchestra to create a specific atmosphere - magical! As for the violin: I watched “Snurresnups Søndagsklub,” saw a little girl play, and immediately told my mom I wanted to play too. Nothing happened at first, but I kept asking. I finally started Suzuki violin at 5½ - first in my little hometown Hammel, then in Aarhus. After that I was wild with activities: church choir, piano, handball, and the student council.

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 Many artists follow a very linear career model. What inspired you to

forge your own creative path? And through your consultations and the

French Connection Academy—co-founded with your husband, pianist

Jean-Baptiste Doulcet, and the late Kristoffer Dolatko—how do you

promote a more holistic approach for classical musicians?

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Basically - I felt that I didn’t fit in. In primary school I loved learning “too much,” so I got bullied; in conservatory I was too sensitive for the competitive environment, and auditions scared me. The idea of full-time orchestra didn’t excite me, and the soloist path felt like too big a leap with my technical level. Teaching full-time wasn’t my wish either. There wasn’t much room to be a freelancer or entrepreneurial without being told to give up quality or classical tradition (unless you did yoga/meditation concerts - beautiful things, but not the tradition itself).

I just knew I LOVED playing violin, preferably with colleagues, when the approach is simple and the goal united: make music, share energy, lift each other up.

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My year in Paris let me test myself. I prepared for a big competition, sent audition recordings, and wasn’t selected. I was never really told by teachers that I could do whatever I wanted - or how - just that I had talent. When I applied for a soloist program in the conservatory, a teacher said he didn’t see me there. If you have a feisty spirit, that motivates you to prove them wrong; if you have insecurity first, it can block you. I was a late bloomer, worked too hard in my first conservatory years, and burned out. Long story short: I’ve always had big dreams and wanted to play at a high level, but it took time to find an environment where I could perform my best.

 

I love sharing with an audience - especially in intimate settings where we can exchange after the concert. So I created an academy. We ask each student, when they apply, to tell us what they dream of. Before every edition I speak with the teachers to prepare a non-judgemental, supportive, authentic, healthy environment that takes every student seriously - even when dreams seem out of reach. We don’t know what will make people grow or when. Sometimes a year passes and a student’s level explodes; sometimes a promising one loses interest. The will is SO important,

and our different backgrounds - privileges, cultures, and the personal trauma that we each go through - shape our learning rhythms and expressions.

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Students arrive from all over the world, used to high performance. Energy is intense from day one, so we create a buffer: a mental-health professional (our “trust person”) for anxiety, stage fright, emotional imbalance, or tough moments. We also usually have an osteopath for tensions or injuries - to remove the shame around tensions. We all play with our bodies; pain can happen at any level.

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We also care about the economy of being a classical musician. For too long we’ve waited to be “discovered.” Suffering has been linked to being “more artistic.” We believe empowerment fuels creativity and kindness. With more freelancers (orchestras closing, budget cuts), we must position ourselves as the high-quality specialists we are. Even if you’re not “the best,” after a Master’s degree you’re still HIGHLY specialized - we’ve often played for 20 years by our mid-twenties! That specialisation demands proper communication - not “marketing” - but beautiful websites, newsletters, (if you wish) social media, a clear personal identity, and high-quality video and visuals. Professional behavior and entrepreneurial spirit - and most importantly, SOCIAL CONNECTION.

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“Je suis très Fauré” is one of your catchphrases. In a competition-driven environment, how do you cultivate your affinity for certain composers? And as an event organizer,

what kind of programming excites you most?

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I’ve always felt a direct connection with certain composers. Some repertoire is simply more comfortable for me physically; some awakens an immediate emotional resonance. After conservatory - once there’s no teacher or exam -you can ask: what do I want to play, why, and in which context? I’ve realized I’m a violinist on a mission: to make the classical experience

accessible, to reframe the way of being so we preserve the quality and intimacy of the craft, and to transmit and connect with audiences. I love the feeling on a stage, when you play your favorite passage of a piece, and you feel the silence in the room beyond the music, and there is this sense of flow, connection and exhaustion at the same time playing music from a deep place in us, from our hearts in the generosity of sharing this secret and sacred parts of our personal

history and identity.

 

For me, that’s what music is: Sharing the beauty and the pain of life without talking about it, but through the "painting" of a historical moment - playing classical music is expression through the soul of the instrumentalist. This medium is one where we all are deeply unique in our personal histories, experiences, personalities and heritage. It’s important for every musician to do the inner work of finding who we are beyond the instrument. Often the “right” repertoire reveals itself as the perfect match for your path, your dreams, and the audience you wish to attract.

Programming that excites me creates a universe around repertoire. I love the challenge of making unrelated works make sense through a beautiful theme - or the reverse. Programs made with 100% integrity, curiosity, beauty, and courage; a red thread that fits the invited musicians; that “Wow, I would love to see this happen” feeling. I’m a bit allergic to integrals unless there’s a special way to present them—order, story, or a new context.

(Exceptions exist: an integral of John Williams and I’m all ears, for example!)

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You emphasize the importance of a team. How essential are

adaptability, resilience, and collaboration in building a career?

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It’s everything after your playing level—that’s what makes the music live. Most big talents had a family member early on thinking strategically: the right teachers, connections, visibility, and opportunities. It rarely happens by accident. There are thousands of amazing violinists, and many have a shadow of the career their level merits because they didn’t invest in empowering their

path beyond lessons and practice. Even winning a competition doesn’t build the career after - it’s constant pro-activity, drive, and focused work. So a team is everything.

Surround yourself with people who believe in you and your dreams, who have different skills, and who support you through actions and encouraging presence: an advisory board, career coach, teacher, friend, spouse, colleague. We need someone to help us see how close we are to the career we dream of - or how small habitual changes or an intentional shift could unlock opportunities.

I’ve invested a lot in personal development - years of different therapies to improve my emotional life. I asked many people for advice while building the academy with my husband and former professor, and I invested in professional communication with our branding/storytelling partner ResetLab. When making an album, we try to find sponsors so a label can support distribution and

marketing; we bring in video-makers, photographers, sound, light, make-up & hair, etc.

Of course there’s a plan A, B, C, etc. for the budget - but too many musicians get stuck in “I don’t have the money” instead of “Who would be interested in supporting or being associated with this?”

Often someone will support you - as a sponsor, mécène, or private donor.

We just have to overcome the fear of rejection by jumping into the wild and prioritizing to do so.

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What is the future landscape of classical music? And how important is it

to create opportunities for yourself and open doors for others?

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We must face that the classical world is challenged. Artists can become protective of networks and opportunities - it’s a natural survival response. But I believe the field can become more solid, autonomous, and financially durable if we improve the environment from within, together and individually. Historically, our sector depends on private mécènes, schools, the right teacher at the right time, competitions, festivals, and orchestral jobs - yet salaries haven’t followed

inflation, and orchestras/festivals face budget cuts. I also see massive transformation: healthier work environments, mental-health focus, developing audiences, and the ABILITY to attract more diverse audiences through clever collaborations. More musicians will be freelance with fewer steady orchestra jobs; we’ll all need better skills to attract our specific audiences so the whole industry chain improves. Many dream of more concerts, and many feel “not good enough” despite a master’s degree - this is a shame and a regret of our educational systems.

For me, a successful artist - whatever their level after conservatory - builds a career that makes them and their audience happy, enjoys a comfortable life (even wealth), and connects many people to beautiful culture.

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We have to support each other more and professionalize how we function as artists:

• Knowing how to negotiate

• Setting up as a freelancer legally

• Paying taxes correctly

• Making good contracts (collaborations and concerts/events)

• Talking with people outside music (our audience!)

• Recognizing unhealthy environments - knowing that you CAN choose differently.

• Knowing how to act diplomatically

• Being conscious of professional territory - ask before engaging others’ important networks for competing activity

• And most importantly: communicate about yourself as if it’s your job.

Our communication must match our playing in quality - it rarely does at the

moment.

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In an age of constant comparison, especially on social media, what advice would you give young artists on staying true and shaping a career that reflects their interests?

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Comparison is easy and natural. When I compare, it’s usually jealousy or longing - wanting the attention/success/acknowledgement someone else has. Ask yourself: What does that person have that I’d love for myself - and how can I build it in my own meaningful way? Usually it isn’t about having their thing; it’s a deep longing to feel successful while not yet knowing how to get there - and maybe not practicing enough gratitude for what we DO have. If you catch yourself comparing, maybe it’s someone to learn from - watch how they do it and learn!

Lastly, legitimacy: we are all artists. Art isn’t about competition - it’s about creative personal expression, and that will always have its place.