Tour Dates: 17 Mar - 28 Mar, 2011

"Sjælland String Quartet prioritizes the crystal clear, rather delicate tone, achieving an outstanding tone quality."
- iBYEN.dk

Biography

The Sjælland String Quartet is composed of four strings soloists from the Copenhagen Philharmonic Orchestra. At their Tivoli Gardens Concert Hall debut in 2006, the audience was first astounded by their characteristic sound, which continues to make its mark on the Danish musical scene. The quartet mixes classical pieces with non-traditional repertoire which includes less well-known works and folk elements for a unique and colorful programme.

As soloists the quartet has performed the Louis Spohr Concerto for String Quartet and Orchestra with the Copenhagen Philharmonic, and they have been appointed by the Royal Danish Opera House to play Elvis Costellos The Juliet Letters.

Anne Søe Iwan is the principal violinist of the Quartet, and plays first violin in the Copenhagen Philharmonic Orchestra. From 1995-2004 she was the concertmaster of the Athelas Sinfonietta Copenhagen. Anne studied at the Royal Danish Academy of Music with Milan Vitek and Marta Libalova where she graduated in 1991. She went on to pursue further studies at the Mozarteum in Salzburg with the Violin Virtuoso Ruggiero Ricci. Anne was, for a number of years, a member of the Salzburger Streichsextett, Salzburger Chamber Soloists and Niew Sinfonietta, Amsterdam. She has also performed as a soloist with orchestras throughout Denmark and also with various international orchestras. She has been awarded many prizes for her musical proficiency including the Simon Spies Prize, The Bikubens Prize for Chamber Music, The Jacob Gade Prize, and various prizes in International Competitions. She had already recieved her first prize in 1984 when she was awarded Gold in the Berlingske Music Competition, a prominent National Youth Competition. Anne Søe Iwan plays on a Nicolaus Gagliano from 1745, kindly made available by the foundation Augustinus-Fonden.

John Bak Dinitzen is the Quartet´s second violinist. He has played in the First Violin section of The Copenhagen Philharmonic Orchestra since 1988. John studied at the Royal Danish Academy of Music with the principal violinist of the Royal Danish Orchestra, Eyvind Sand Kjeldsen. He then pursued further studies with the legendary violinist, Pierre Amoyal, in Paris. He studied chamber music with many prominent artists, including Milan Vitek, William Pleeth, The Beaux Art Trio and Mstislav Rostropovich. John has been an active chamber musician, primarily in The Artium Quartet, The Louisiana Museum Art Ensemble and the Dinitzen Trio, giving concerts both within Denmark and abroad. At the age of 12, John, together with his two siblings, had already won the Berlingske Music Competition as the Dinitzen Trio. John has also performed as soloist both with Tivoli´s Symphony Orchestra and with the Louisiana Museum Art Ensemble.

Bernd Rinne, viola, won a position in 1998 as Principal Viola in The Copenhagen Philharmonic Orchestra. Bernd studied both violin and viola at The Frankfurt Music High School where he was also employed for 3 years in the Frankfurt Radio Orchestra. He was a founding member of the Haba Quartet in 1983, and performed countless concerts and radio and television broadcasts with the quartet for many years. As a soloist, Bernd has performed with The Copenhagen Philharmonic Orchestra as well as various orchestras internationally, with many of these performances broadcast by radio. Over the years, a total of 42 composers have dedicated their works to Bernd Rinne. Bernd has given many chamber music courses in Germany, Austria and Holland, and since 1989 he has served as the artistic director of the Ahlhorner Chamber Music Courses. Bernd is a chamber musician, soloist and composer.

Richard Krug, plays the cello in the quartet. Since his arrival in Denmark in 1998, he has earned great respect as the principal cellist of the Copenhagen Philharmonic Orchestra, and also established himself as a very popular chamber musician and soloist. Richard is educated from the soloist class of Hochschule der Künste Berlin, where he studied with Prof. Markus Nyikos and made his debut as a soloist in 1997. Masterclasses with Siegfried Palm, Melos-Kvartetten, Lassalle-Kvartetten, Alban Berg Kvartetten a.o. and for several years principal cellist in Junge Deutsche Philharmonie have also expanded his musical education. Richard has also been employed in Deutsche Oper Berlin, and was a member of the Minguet Quartet in Cologne for a number of years. The Minguet Quartet has won many international awards, toured throughout Europe and made numerous broadcasts and CD recordings. Richard performed with the quartet and as a soloist at Salzburger Musikfestspiele, Oberstdorfer Musiksommer, Dresden Musikfestspiele, Schleswig Holstein Musikfestival and many other festivals. In addition to his career as a chamber musician and solist, Richard is also known as a skilled arranger. His last productions include The Medley for sopran and celloensemble based on Porgy & Bess (2005) and Á la maniere de Carmen Une Anthologie pour dix Violoncelles (2006).

In 2004, these four ourstanding soloists came together to form what was later to be called the Sjælland String Quartet.

In 2007, the Sjælland String Quartet recorded the two string quartets by Sunleif Rasmussen as well as both quartets by Leos Janácek and performed in Syria, Greece, Italy and the Faroe Islands.

In addition to their regular touring schedule, in 2010, the quartet will be performing and collaborating with new and upcoming soloists, such as the french clarinet-player Cristelle Pochet and the Russian pianist Sofya Gulyak.

Reviews

Sjælland String Quartet prioritize the crystal clear, rather delicate tone, achieving an outstanding tone quality.
- iBYEN.dk

The first movement is filled with intense exclamatory interruptions and is played outstandingly by Sjælland String Quartet, with the drive of a rock band
- Politiken, 2008

Special thanks to:

Augustinus Foundation

Brødrene Hartmanns Foundation 

Wilhelm Hansen Foundation