Biography Ditte Fromseier Mortensen was born on the Danish island Bornholm situated in the Baltic Sea in 1978. As five year old she took up the fiddle at the local music school. She studied here untill she in 1998 continued her studies at Colchester Insitute in Essex , England. Here she was taught by Marc Messenger and Michael Bockmann and in 1999 she was appointed leader of the institute symphony orchestra. During her studies in Colchester Ditte was introduced to the Irish traditional music for the first time and in the years to come it came to be her main musical interest. In 2000 she started the Irish band Flax in Bloom (www.flaxinbloom.dk) with musicians from Copenhagen. Since then they have performed extensively in concerts and festival throughout the country. In 2002 Ditte started the duo Fromseier Rose with the American pianist Michael Rose (www.fromseierrose.com). together they have created an individual musical style with a strong basis in the Irish, Danish and American traditional music and with modern acoustic elements. In 2003 the duo released their debut album "Contradiction" witch was very positively recieved all over Europe and America, and voted second best celtic album of the year by German magazine Folkworld. Fromseier Rose has toured extensively in Denmark and the rest of Europe. In 2003 Ditte was accepted for the course Master of Arts in Irish Traditional Music at the Irish World Music Centre at the University of Limerick. Here she was taught by some of the best Irish fiddlers. Among others: John Carty, Matt Cranitch, Frankie Gavin, Siobhan Peoples, Ben Lennon, Jerry Holland, Marc O`Connor and Mairead Ni Mhaonaigh. Ditte finished the course in 2004 with a "first class honours". As a part of the course she recorded the album "Anything Strange?". Returned from Ireland Ditte was accepted for the Master in Danish traditional music at the Carl Nielsen Academy in Odense, Denmark where she is now a student. "Anything Strange?" Reviewed: Matt Cranitch (fiddler): "This very fine recording, "Anything Strange" which features contrasting selections of tunes with varied accompaniment, gives us the opportunity to hear the fruits of Ditte´s musical endeavours, and indeed to enjoy some great fiddle music, performed with a lovely sense of maturity and confidence. Right from the opening tune, Reel in C, she conveys her musical ideas in a beautifully expressive manner, wherein she gives scope to her creativity and imagination. I really like her sense of timing and pace, which never appear hurried - she plays as if she has all the time in the world for every note, even the fast ones!" John Carty (fiddler) "Having visited the Irish World Music Centre as a tutor and performer over the last ten years I am always amazed at the in depth enthusiasm the students have shown. Never has this been more evident than on this recording from Ditte Fromseier Mortensen. Her attention to detail is remarkable; thoughtful arrangements coupled with technically skilful musicianship makes this recording fresh and interesting. I hear echoes of the great Donegal fiddle tradition but most importantly whilst discovering her musical directions Ditte has still made this music her own. It is a great testament to a recording when one wants to hear every track from start to finish!" Mick Nielsen (www.mickn.dk) It's always great when a new star arises on the musical sky which is known as traditional Irish music. Fortunately this happens quite often in Ireland, but it's a rarity when it is a young Danish colleen (sic!) who shines brightly. Despite her young age Ditte Fromseier Mortensen has played Irish music for years and is a member of the group Flax in Bloom and the duo Fromseier Rose. Anything Strange? is her debut solo CD and the result of a year spent studying at the Irish World Music Centre in Limerick. Ditte is a classically trained violinist, but proves that she is also a great traditional fiddler. I have said this before and I do not hesitate to say it again, "Ditte can play the pants off many "established" fiddlers I know." The tunes that Ditte has chosen are not the ordinary run-of-the-mill tunes you find on many recordings. Clearly she has a personal preference for each tune or the person(s) she has learned it from. She is brave enough to include Scottish, Quebecoise, and Cape Breton tunes along with one of her own compositions. Of course most are Irish fiddle tunes which she totally masters. In all there are twelve tunes on the CD and all are a treat for the ears. Ditte is joined by Irish musicians: Francis Ward, Alan Colfer, Kieran Munnelly and Danish boyfriend Sigurd Hockings, who all suit her playing perfectly well.