Artists

Trio con Brio Copenhagen has been the artistic leadership of the festival since 2014 and consists of violinist Soo-Jin Hong, cellist Soo-Kyung Hong, and pianist Jens Elvekjær. In 2024, the trio entered its 25th anniversary year, marked by major highlights including extensive tours in Europe and the USA, the world premiere of a new piano trio by Bent Sørensen at the Boulez Saal in Berlin, and multiple Beethoven cycles in leading concert halls. The trio has released numerous CDs – all of which have been enthusiastically received by both critics and fans. Their latest album, featuring trios by Schubert and Weinberg, received a six-heart review in the Danish newspaper Politiken, stating: “Trio con Brio affirms its place at the top of the world’s elite in contemporary classical chamber music.” The trio’s outstanding musicianship, fresh approach to core repertoire, innovative programming, and ability to engage young audiences through creative concert activities have earned them several prestigious awards. These include the Carl Nielsen and Anne Marie Carl-Nielsen Award in 2019 – one of Denmark’s most prestigious music prizes – as well as the Wilhelm Hansen Foundation’s Honorary Grant in 2024.

www.trioconbrio.dk

Marmen Quartet was founded in 2013 and has since established itself as one of the leading string quartets on the international chamber music scene. They have won first prizes in major international string quartet competitions, such as Bordeaux and Banff, and have performed worldwide in prestigious venues including the Berlin Philharmonie, Wigmore Hall, and Muziekgebouw Eindhoven. The quartet’s repertoire spans a wide range, from Haydn to contemporary music, and they have premiered works by composers such as Garth Knox, Salina Fisher, and Hannah Kendall. They are known for their immense intensity and vitality, qualities that shine through on their critically acclaimed debut album, released in January 2025 on BIS, featuring string quartets by Bartók and Ligeti. Marmen Quartet consists of Johannes Marmen and Laia Valentin Braun on violins, Bryony Gibson-Cornish on viola, and Sinéad O’Halloran on cello.

www.marmenquartet.com

Italian pianist Enrico Pace‘s international career truly took off after winning the Franz Liszt Piano Competition in Utrecht in 1989. Since then, he has toured extensively across the world, performing in prestigious venues such as Amsterdam’s Concertgebouw, Teatro alla Scala in Milan, Wigmore Hall in London, and Carnegie Hall in New York, as well as at renowned festivals like Verbier and Lucerne. In addition to being a sought-after soloist with orchestras, he is also a dedicated chamber musician. His regular collaborators include Leonidas Kavakos, Frank Peter Zimmermann, Matthias Goerne, and Antoine Tamestit. His recording of Beethoven’s complete violin sonatas with Kavakos, released on Decca, was nominated for a Grammy Award in 2013.

Hélène Clément is one of the most distinguished violists of her generation and a passionate chamber musician. She has collaborated with renowned artists such as Elisabeth Leonskaja, Jonathan Biss, Mitsuko Uchida, Quatuor Ébène, and many others. A frequent guest at prestigious international festivals, she also serves as a professor of viola and chamber music at the Royal Academy of Music in London. Hélène has recorded works for viola by Britten and Bridge on Chandon Records, performed on an 1843 Italian viola previously owned by Benjamin Britten and Frank Bridge themselves. For 12 years, she was the violist of the acclaimed Doric String Quartet, where she explored the quartet repertoire from Haydn to contemporary composers, performed worldwide, and recorded an extensive range of works by composers such as Britten, Beethoven, and Mendelssohn.

The Ukrainian violinist Andrej Bielow has studied in Germany and France. As a soloist and chamber musician, he has recorded over 20 CDs and performed as a soloist with orchestras such as the New Japan Philharmonic, Orchestre National de France, Kiev Philharmonic, and Münchener Kammerorchester. Bielow has won numerous awards at international competitions and has received a wide range of cultural grants. He currently teaches violin at the Conservatory in Graz and frequently gives masterclasses across Europe, Asia, and the USA. As a chamber musician, he has performed at festivals throughout Europe, including Kammermusik på Lundsgaard, where his outstanding musicianship, deep passion for chamber music and contagious personality have made him a cherished and regular guest.

www.andrejbielow.net

Cellist Jonathan Swensen has been described by BBC Music Magazine as “a musician of charisma and thrilling physicality” and is enjoying a flourishing career in both Europe and the USA. He has performed with numerous symphony orchestras and at chamber music festivals around the world, including the Philharmonia Orchestra, Iceland Symphony Orchestra, and all of Denmark’s symphony orchestras, as well as at ChamberFest Cleveland, the Kennedy Center’s Terrace Theatre, Lincoln Center, and Merkin Hall. In 2024, he won First Prize at The Naumburg International Cello Competition and was awarded the Avery Fisher Career Grant in 2022, in addition to receiving the Musikanmelderringens Kunstnerpris in 2020 and the Leonie Sonning Music Foundation’s Talent Prize in 2017. In September 2022, he released his debut album, Fantasia, which received enthusiastic reviews from Gramophone, The Strad, and BBC Music.

www.jonathanswensen.com

With his natural musicianship and warm, sensual tone, the young Danish violinist Michael Germer has achieved international success in concerts and competitions – most recently as the recipient of the Gladsaxe Music Prize in 2023. Despite not making his official soloist debut from the Royal Danish Academy of Music until May 2024, he has already performed as a soloist with most of Denmark’s symphony orchestras and collaborated with conductors such as Christoph Eschenbach (CPH Phil), Andris Poga (Aalborg Symphony Orchestra), Pierre Bleuse (Aarhus Symphony Orchestra), Lars Ulrik Mortensen (Concerto Copenhagen), and chamber music partners such as Andreas Brantelid and Marianna Shirinyan. In 2020, Michael won Second Prize and the Prize for Best Interpretation of Paganini at the Khachaturian International Violin Competition, followed by First Prize at the Danish String Competition.

www.michaelgermer.com

Ernő Kállai Kiss Jr. is a distinguished Hungarian violinist, celebrated for his profound contributions to traditional Gypsy and Hungarian music. Born into a musical lineage, he is the son of Ernő Kállai Kiss Sr., a renowned clarinetist and tárogató player. This familial heritage has significantly influenced his musical journey, fostering a deep commitment to preserving and promoting Hungary’s rich musical traditions. With his ensemble, the Ernő Kállai Kiss Jr. Gypsy Band, he has dedicated his craft not only to preserve the musical heritage of his homeland but also to introduce the nuances of Hungarian folk and Gypsy music to a global audience. His work continues to inspire and educate, ensuring that these rich musical traditions endure for future generations. Ernő Kállai Kiss Jr. Gypsy Band consists of Ernő Kállai Kiss Jr. on violin, Karoly Vadász, cimbalom and Zsolt Bóni on double bass.

Søren Sætter-Lassen is one of Denmark’s most distinguished actors and was awarded the Honorary Prize at the 2022 Reumert Awards. He delivered an unforgettable performance as Salieri in the Royal Danish Theatre’s production of Amadeus, which was restaged in January 2023. From 1992 to 2022, he was a core member of the Royal Danish Theatre’s ensemble. In the early 1980s, he co-founded Grønnegårds Teatret, where he performed in several Holberg productions. Søren has received all the major Danish theatre awards, including the Teaterpokalen, the Lauritzen Award (2003), and multiple Reumert Awards: Best Male Lead for Richard III (2010), The Father (2014), and Amadeus (2019), as well as Best Male Supporting Role for Don Carlos (2000).

Esben Tange holds a Master’s degree in Musicology and Media Studies. He has been a program producer at DR P2 since 1995 and has served as an editor and concert host since 2007. Esben has been a board member of the Léonie Sonning Music Foundation since 2004 and has chaired the foundation since 2012. He co-founded the Rued Langgaard Society in 2007 and has been the artistic director of the Rued Langgaard Festival in Ribe since 2011. As a lecturer, author, and writer, he specializes in classical and modern music, with a particular focus on the period around 1900. Additionally, Esben Tange has created a series of visually staged concert performances centered on composer Rued Langgaard and related composers.