Chinese composer produces rare work with Norwegian violinist

"The selected pieces celebrate the two cultures that constantly inspire me. And in a way my main objective is to use the music to focus on the connections that might have been previously overlooked, following the division between the East and the West."

The violinist says Tan has shown her the beauty and richness of China and the composer's strong cultural roots as well as the very contemporary melodies, in a way, that go "directly to her heart".

Like Tan, Hemsing also has her roots in traditional music.

As a child, she received classical violin training, besides learning Norwegian folk violin and Hardanger fiddle.

"In a way, the two very different music approaches have given me a very strong foundation and flexibility in both the music as well as the technical aspects.

"Though we are classically trained musicians we must not forget our roots, which have also inspired some of the music heroes, including Brahms, Bartok or Tan Dun," she says.

Hemsing, who was born in Nord-Aurdal, Norway, grew up in a family inclined to music, with her mother being a violinist.

Hemsing started her music career with her first performance for the royal family at the age of 6 and made her orchestra debut at the age of 11 with the Bergen Philharmonic.

Her debut album, which was released in March, is a pairing of Norwegian composer Hjalmar Borgstrom's violin concerto written in 1914 with the iconic Shostakovich violin concerto No 1.

"The violin concerto by Borgstrom reminds me of where I come from - the rugged landscape of Valdres and Jotunheimen, where the surrounding mountains rise dramatically over the valleys - and the music makes me yearn for my roots," she says, adding that after Borgstrom's death in 1925, the violin concerto was largely forgotten.

She also recorded albums of Dvorak's Violin Concerto and Suk's Fantasy and Love Song with the Antwerp Symphony Orchestra in September.