Eluveitie have announced the departure of their violin player Nicole Ansperger. They have enjoyed a wonderful year of adventures with Nicole, circling the globe and completing the first part of the Origins world tour together - their biggest, longest and most successful one yet.
 
Eluveitie comment: “Unfortunately, it can be extremely difficult to manage personal obligations and take care of a family alongside a life of constant touring, and Nicole’s priorities are with her family - where they should be. We are parting amicably and would like to thank Nicole for the good times and her musical contribution. It’s been an honour to share stage and studio with such a talented musician!“


 
Nicole adds a few words herself:
“Dear fans, as mentioned before, it can become pretty difficult to reconcile personal obligations and the touring life. A lot of things have changed within my family and my personal situation during the last twelve months; and now my familial situation makes it impossible to me to be on the road with my band constantly. After careful consideration and with a heavy and bleeding heart I made the decision to leave Eluveitie. I was a very hard step to me and I will miss Eluveitie - the music, the band, the crew and very much also YOU, the fans! I wanna thank you all - you‘ve been the best fans of the world to me! You rock, you‘ve been wonderful and I won‘t forget you! Also I‘d like to thank my mates in Eluveitie - thank you for the amazing and intense time we had together! Yo‘`ll always be in my remembrance! I wish you all the very best for your future ways and of course I wish you a awesome new fiddle player. :) This certainly doesn‘t mean an end to my musical career. Music will always be a very important part of my life and who knows - maybe we‘ll see each other again one day. Keep on rockin‘ guys and girls!“
 
Now, the show must go on, and as you might know Eluveitie are about to kick off another part of their world tour in early September. Nicole’s last show with the band will take place at the In Extremo Festival on September 5th. Starting right now, they are looking for a talented violin player to step in and complete three months of touring with them, from September 7th to December 15th. This is no easy task, and the band will only consider the best of the best in order to bring you the Eluveitie show they are known for and proud of. If you think, you’ve got what it takes, the band invites you to take this chance and submit your entry in their first ever round of open auditions. Taking part is simple, getting the gig might be the challenge (and chance) of your life! To enter, simply:
 
1. Download this MP3 of their song 'King', if you don’t have it yet: 
2. Record a video of yourself performing the song, making sure that the band can both see you and clearly hear your performance!
3. Upload your video to www.youtube.com and send the link to violin@eluveitie.ch, and don’t forget to include detailed contact info!
 
Deadline for all submissions is Thursday, August 6th, at midnight Central European Time. Ideally, you will be a very talented musician with touring experience, as well as located in or near Switzerland. However, participation in this audition is open to all!
 
Please note that due to the high volume of submissions the band expects, Eluveitie might not be able to reply to everyone personally. They will reply to you with follow-up questions within a few days if you’ve made it into the second round. Either way, the band is looking forward to view your performances and would like to thank you in advance for participating!

(Nicole Ansperger photo by Nicole Volz)