Danish String Quartet

“What they do know is how to be an exceptional quartet, whatever repertory they play.” – The New York Times

FEATURED ARTISTS

Frederik Øland, violin

Rune Tonsgaard Sørensen, violin

Asbjørn Nørgaard, viola

Fredrik Schøyen Sjölin, cello

PROGRAM

Gabriella SMITH: Carrot Revolution

SHOSTAKOVICH: String Quartet No. 14 in F-sharp major, Op. 142

BEETHOVEN: String Quartet No. 14 in C-sharp minor, Op. 131

ABOUT

Rooted in friendship and Scandinavian spirit, the Danish String Quartet brings world‑class chamber music to life. With three Danes and one Norwegian at the core, they combine the precision of classical tradition with the unwavering joy of playing together. Despite performances in the major concert halls of the world, they never forget that “music is a way to hang out with friends.” 

Whether interpreting Haydn with crispness and clarity or exploring new sonic languages, the Quartet’s voice remains distinctive: technical brilliance balanced with warmth, ensemble precision balanced with heartfelt communication. 

DANISH STRING QUARTET 

The Danish String Quartet celebrates its 20th Anniversary in 2022-23, and the GRAMMY®-nominated quartet continues to assert its preeminence among the world’s finest string quartets. Formed when they were in their teens, they are renowned for impeccable musicianship, sophisticated artistry, exquisite clarity of ensemble, and, above all, and an unmatched ability to play as one. Performances are characterized by a rare musical spontaneity, giving audiences the sense of hearing even treasured canon repertoire as if for the first time. They exude a palpable joy in music-making that has made them one of today’s most highly acclaimed and in-demand classical quartets, performing sold-out concert halls around the world. Their inventive and intriguing programming and repertoire choices have produced critically acclaimed original projects and commissions as well as popular arrangements of Scandinavian folk music. 

This season, the Danish String Quartet continues its DOPPELGÄNGER series, an ambitious four-year international commissioning project. DOPPELGÄNGER pairs world premieres from four renowned composers—Bent Sørensen, Lotta Wennäkoski, Anna Thorvaldsdottir, and Thomas Adès—with late major chamber works by Schubert. Each season, the Quartet performs a world premiere on a program with its doppelgänger—the Schubert quartet or quintet that inspired it—culminating in 2024 in the premiere of a quintet by Adès, after the String Quintet in C major. This season’s new work, by Anna Thorvaldsdottir, premieres in April 2023 and is paired with Schubert’s String Quartet in A Minor, “Rosamunde.” The DOPPELGÄNGER pieces are commissioned by the Danish String Quartet with the support of Carnegie Hall, Cal Performances, UC Santa Barbara Arts & Lectures, Vancouver Recital Society, Flagey in Brussels, and Muziekgebouw in Amsterdam. The Quartet performs 28 concerts in North American this season over the course of three separate tours. Additionally, they are Artist in Residence at London’s Wigmore Hall.

The Danish String Quartet’s most recent recording project is PRISM, a series of five discs on ECM New Series that explores the symbiotic musical and contextual relationships between Bach fugues, Beethoven string quartets, and works by Shostakovich, Schnittke, Bartok, Mendelssohn, and Webern. Four of the five recordings have been released on ECM, and the fifth, PRISM V, is slated for 2023. The most recently released is PRISM IV (2022), which was an “Editor’s Choice” in Limelight magazine. The Quartet’s discography reflects the ensemble’s special affinity for Scandinavian composers, with the complete quartets of Carl Nielsen (DaCapo, 2007 and 2008) and Adès, Nørgård & Abrahamsen, their debut on ECM in 2016. They also released two discs of traditional Scandinavian folk music, Wood Works (Dacapo, 2014) and Last Leaf  (ECM, 20127), which was one of the top classical albums of the year, as chosen by NPR, Spotify and The New York Times, among others. A third folk recording is planned for release in 2023 on ECM.  

The Danish String Quartet is one of today’s most celebrated chamber music ensembles, known for bringing energy, connection, and a fresh spirit to classical music. Their story began in childhood, when three of the members met at a music summer camp in Denmark and grew together as musicians. In 2008, Norwegian cellist Fredrik Schøyen Sjölin joined them, completing the quartet.

Since then, they have earned international recognition, including Musical America’s 2020 Ensemble of the Year and Denmark’s prestigious Carl Nielsen Prize. Beyond the concert stage, they are passionate about connecting with new audiences and making chamber music feel personal and alive.