Alma Kraggerud

Alma Serafin Kraggerud (b. October 2006) started her violin studies at age 5. Current and former teachers includes Peter Herresthal , Bård Monsen, Dr. Robin Wilson, Sigyn Fossnes, Alf Richard Kraggerud and Soon-Mi Chung. She is now a student at The Norwegian Academy of Music (Norges Musikkhøgskole) with Peter Herresthal.

Kraggerud made her orchestral debut at age 9, as soloist with Norwegian Broadcasting Orchestra performing for the Royal families of Norway, Sweden and Denmark. After that she has been soloist three times with this orchestra.

She has been soloist with various orchestras including Stavanger Symphony Orchestra , Trondheim Symphony Orchestra, Arctic Philharmonic, Wroclaw Philharmonic, Montpellier National Opera, Kristiansand Symphony, Originalklang Orchester L`arpa festante München , Helsingborg Symphony Orchestra, Deutsche Kammerakademie Neuss.

She has played at Oslo Chamber Music Festival, Stavanger Chamber Music Festival, Vendsyssel Festival, Hellerup Chambermusic Society, Halvorsens Musikkfest, Murten Classics and many other festivals in Norway and abroad. At The Bergen International Festival in 2023 she gave a concert in Harald Sæverud's home at Siljustøl.

She won 1. prize in Virtuos 2022 , as well as three other 1st. prizes in Norway. She has received the Norwegian Soloist Prize 2022 as well as Øivind Bergh Memorial Prize 2022 and several other prizes. She won 3rd. prize in Eurovision Young Musician 2022.

She was awarded Ånun Lund Rej’s Prize for her creativity as composer and musician. The Swedish association Kvast which works for promotions of female composers, chose to include Alma after her duo «Laments Music» was viewed more then 100k on social media. Her composition «The Untold Myth» a piece for full orchestra was played by Oslo Philharmonic in 2022. She has also collaborated with Oslo Philharmonic in a film about Alfred Nobel and the Peace Prize Winners.

Together with her brothers Hector (piano) and Franz (cello) she premiered their father Henning Kraggerud piece "Tales from the Enchanted Forest" with orchestra , summer 2022.

June 2024 she was a soloist together with Guro Kleven Hagen and Ragnhild Hemsing and Kristiansand Symphony Orchestra at the opening concert of the «Chamber Festival in Valdres». And In November 2024 she was invited back to Kristiansand Symphony to play three more concerts with them. The same summer she played Beethoven violin Concerto with her own cadenza in Bodø during their celebration of European Capital of Culture 2024 at the closing concert of Nordland Musikkfestuke.

In January (2025) she got a scholarship from CREO, “Eilif og datter Besse Gunstrøms minnelegat”, a “scholarship for young aspiring violinists under the age of 30”. In February she played at the Arctic Chamber Music Festival where among other concerts she was soloist with as well as leading Arctic Philharmonic.

In February she opened the new Debut-series in Aulaseriene with 3 recitals with the pianist Sebastian Egebakken Svenøy, with the last recital in Universitets Aula here in Bergen on February 28. One of her instruments is the Stradivari “Ex-Karl Klingler” (Cremona 1720), generously lent to her by Anders Sveaas Almennyttige Fond.

In the spring she is will perform the solo stage violin part in the world premiere of the opera Asle og Alida both here in Bergen and Copenhagen. The musical role as fiddle player is added by the composer Bent Sørensen.

Updated March 2025
Photographer: Sveinung Hoel Bjorå