Artists

Trio con Brio Copenhagen has served as the festival’s artistic leadership since 2014 and consists of violinist Soo-Jin Hong, cellist Soo-Kyung Hong, and pianist Jens Elvekjær. The trio was founded in Vienna in 1999 and is now based in Copenhagen. 

Their exceptional musicianship, fresh approach to core repertoire, ambitious programming, and ability to engage young audiences through creative concert initiatives have earned them the Carl Nielsen and Anne Marie Carl-Nielsen Prize in 2019 – one of Denmark’s most prestigious music awards – as well as the Wilhelm Hansen Foundation Honorary Award in 2024. 

The three musicians perform regularly in some of the world’s most prestigious concert halls, including Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, Wigmore Hall, Pierre Boulez Saal in Berlin, and the Concertgebouw. Over the years, they have built an extensive international career with performances across Europe, the United States, and Asia. 

Trio con Brio has released numerous CDs, all of which have been received with great enthusiasm by critics and audiences alike. Their latest album featuring trios by Schubert and Weinberg received six hearts in Politiken, which wrote: 

“Trio con Brio demonstrates that they belong to the very top of the world elite in contemporary classical chamber music.” 

www.trioconbrio.dk

Simply Quartet is a renowned string quartet with a strong presence on the European music scene, praised for technical virtuosity, joy of playing, and deep musical sensitivity. Their repertoire ranges from early Classical works to newly written compositions, approached with an intense and inquisitive engagement with both score and interpretation.

The quartet was formed during their studies in Vienna and has received artistic guidance from Johannes Meissl, Hatto Beyerle, and members of the Alban Berg Quartet. They have won several international first prizes, including the Carl Nielsen International Chamber Music Competition and Quatuor à Bordeaux.

As ECHO Rising Stars, they have toured Europe’s major concert halls, including Wigmore Hall, Elbphilharmonie, Concertgebouw, and BOZAR. Their debut album was released in 2025 to widespread critical acclaim.

French pianist David Kadouch has received numerous prestigious distinctions, including the title of Young Artist of the Year at Victoires de la musique classique and the International Classical Music Awards. 

In 2025, Kadouch performed at DR Koncerthuset as pianist in Schönberg’s Ode to Napoleon alongside Thomas Hampson, conductor Fabio Luisi, and the DR Symphony Orchestra. The work was recorded for Deutsche Grammophon. 

Chamber music plays a central role in his artistic life, including collaborations with Quatuor Ébène, Renaud Capuçon, and Gautier Capuçon. He is a regular guest at festivals such as Verbier Festival, Klavier-Festival Ruhr, La Roque-d’Anthéron, and the Jerusalem Festival. 

Kadouch shares vivid insights into musical life through social media and presents classical music in a fresh and personal light. 

www.davidkadouch.com

Andrej Bielow is a highly esteemed Ukrainian violinist with an extensive international career as a soloist, chamber musician, and pedagogue. His playing combines technical mastery with an intense and personal expression.

He has built a substantial discography of more than 20 critically acclaimed recordings, ranging from Baroque to contemporary repertoire. Chamber music occupies a central place in his artistic work, and he is actively engaged in developing new concert formats that create dialogue between tradition and innovation.

Bielow is Professor at the Robert Schumann Hochschule in Düsseldorf and regularly gives masterclasses throughout Europe, Asia, and the Americas. As a mentor, he combines technical precision with artistic freedom and artistic courage.

www.andrejbielow.net

South African-born violist Gareth Lubbe is a versatile and distinctive musician performing on stages worldwide, known for his intense playing, tonal curiosity, and work with overtone singing. As both a classical violist and vocal experimenter, he moves freely between chamber music, solo repertoire, and interdisciplinary projects. 

He appears regularly as a soloist and chamber musician and has collaborated with ensembles and musicians globally. A particular interest in new music has led to numerous world premieres, often written specifically for him. His work reflects a deep fascination with sound, resonance, and the boundary between voice and instrument. 

He teaches internationally and gives workshops and masterclasses in both viola and vocal technique and is known as an inspiring and dedicated pedagogue. 

The award-winning British baritone Roderick Williams is regarded as one of the most distinguished singers of his generation. His warm, flexible voice and nuanced textual interpretation have made him a sought-after collaborator for conductors, orchestras, and composers worldwide. 

He appears regularly in major orchestral productions and has established himself as an outstanding interpreter of lieder. Recitals at venues such as Wigmore Hall, the Concertgebouw, and Carnegie Hall attest to his strong international profile. 

Williams performed as a soloist at the coronation ceremony of King Charles III at Westminster Abbey in 2023. Alongside his singing career, he is active as a composer, teacher, artistic director, and curator of concert series and festivals

Described by The Times as “captivating” and “ethereally passionate,” British cellist Natalie Clein has built a distinguished career performing at prominent venues and with major orchestras worldwide. In 2021, she was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) for her services to music. Several of her recordings have received awards including Diapason d’Or, Gramophone Editor’s Choice, and a Brit Award. 

She has worked with conductors such as Sir Mark Elder, Sir Roger Norrington, Leonard Slatkin, and Daniel Harding and frequently appears in recital with artists including Marianna Shirinyan, Cédric Pescia, and Anthony Marwood. 

Natalie Clein is Artistic Director of the Purbeck International Chamber Music Festival and Professor of Cello at the Hochschule für Musik und Theater in Rostock. 

www.natalieclein.com

Selma Teilmann (b. 2006) is this year’s Young Artist at Kammermusik på Lundsgaard. She began playing the violin at the age of five and displayed remarkable talent from an early age. Her natural and energetic musicality, combined with a solid technical foundation, has earned her numerous awards, including First Prize at the Jacob Gade Violin Competition (2022), a Gold Medal at the Classical Music Competition (2020), and the Copenhagen Summer Festival Talent Prize (2021). 

In 2025, Selma began her studies at the Haute École de Musique de Lausanne with Professor Svetlana Makarova. Highlights of her rapidly developing career include solo performances with Copenhagen Phil in Ravel’s Tzigane at Tivoli’s Stjernestunder Festival, as well as appearances with the DR Symphony Orchestra and Odense Symphony Orchestra. In November 2025, she performed Bruch’s Violin Concerto with Copenhagen Phil, marking the beginning of a two-year Young Artist Residency. 

Søren Sætter-Lassen is one of Denmark’s leading actors and received the 2022 Honorary Award at the Reumert Awards. He was unforgettable as Salieri in the production of Amadeus at the Royal Danish Theatre and was a permanent member of the Royal Danish Theatre ensemble from 1992 to 2022. In the early 1980s, he co-founded Grønnegårds Teatret, where he appeared in several Holberg productions. 

He has received all major Danish theatre awards, including the Teaterpokalen, the Lauritzen Prize (2003), Reumert Awards for Best Actor (Richard III, 2010; Faderen, 2014; Amadeus, 2019) and Best Supporting Actor (Don Carlos, 2000). 

Esben Tange holds an MA in Music and Media Studies. He has worked at DR P2 since 1995 and has served as editor and concert host since 2007. He has been a board member of the Léonie Sonning Music Foundation since 2004 and chairman since 2012. 

He co-founded the Rued Langgaard Society in 2007 and has served as Artistic Director of the Rued Langgaard Festival in Ribe since 2011. He is a lecturer, author, and writer on classical and modern music, with particular focus on the period around 1900. Tange has also created a number of visually conceived concert productions about the composer Rued Langgaard and related composers.