An ASF Centennial Concert Series: Spot on Royal Danish Academy of Music:

Nightingale String Quartet
March 17

Nightingale String QuartetCarl Nielsen’s String Quartet Op. 13 in G-minor; Rued Langgaard’s String Quartet No. 3; and Franz Schubert’s String Quartet No. 14 in D-minor, D. 810, “Death and the Maiden.”
Inspired by Danish author Hans Christian Andersen’s fairytale about the little nightingale, the Nightingale String Quartet was founded in 2007 by violinists Gunvor Sihm and Josefine Dalsgaard, violist Marie Louise Broholt Jensen, and cellist Louisa Schwab. All four are currently studying their masters at the Royal Danish Academy of Music in Copenhagen with Professor Tim Frederiksen as their chamber music mentor and coach.

The quartet has won prizes at several national as well as international chamber music competitions, including the Danish Radio P2 talent prize 2010. In June 2008 the quartet won 1st prize at the Royal Danish Academy of Music’s scholarship chamber music competition. After having only played together for a year and a half, the quartet won 2nd prize at the Danish Radio’s chamber music competition in February 2009. In April 2010 the Nightingale String Quartet was awarded 2nd prize at the international chamber music competition Charles Hennen Concours in Holland. As a result of this prize the quartet was exclusively invited to take part in the summer course Orlando Festival in Holland along with only 3 other prize winning quartets. At the festival they received daily coaching from the legendary violinist Shmuel Ashkenasi and performed at several concerts around the area.

Besides from being taught by professor Tim Frederiksen, Nightingale String Quartet has also received instruction from members of the Alban Berg Quartet, the Vermeer Quartet, Quatour Danel, and the Danish String Quartet. They have taken part in Milan Vitek’s course in the Czech Republic, the Orlando Festival in Holland, and have had lessons with Lilia Schulz, György Kurtág, Vlad Bogdanas, Jensen Horn-Sin LAM and Roberto Díaz.
In the winter of 2010 Nightingale String Quartet will begin recording all of Rued Langgaard’s string quartets for the Danish record label DACAPO.

Trio Ismena & Soprano Dénise Beck
March 24

Trio Ismena & Soprano Dénise BeckCarl Nielsen’s Piano Trio No. 1 in G-major, Genrebillede, I Seraillets Have, and Æbleblomst op. 10, No. 1; Peter E. Lange-Müller’s Piano Trio Op. 53; selections from Peter A. Heise’s Dyveke’s Songs; and Dmitri Shostakovich’s Piano Trio No. 2 in E-minor, Op. 67.

Formed in 2004 at the Royal Danish Academy of Music, Trio Ismena has established itself as one of the most exciting and promising young chamber ensembles on the Danish music scene. Having won 1st prize in the Danish Radio Chamber Music Competition 2009 and 3rd prize in the Trondheim International Piano Trio Competition 2007, the trio now looks forward to a season with concerts in major halls in Denmark and tours to China, Spain, Germany, and the United States.

Professor Tim Frederiksen was their mentor at the Royal Danish Academy of Music. They also received instruction from the Tokyo, Jerusalem, and Vermeer Quartets, as well as Gerhard Schulz of the Alban Berg Quartet. Subsequently they have performed at the most important Danish music festivals and music societies as well as at festivals in the United Kingdom, France, Italy, Latvia, Germany, Norway, Sweden, and the Netherlands.
The trio is also interested in playing contemporary music, which has resulted in several collaborations with composers, most notably with the Danish composer Ib Nørholm. In the future they plan to collaborate with several American composers as well.