Date of birth:	1986 - 1988
Instrument:	ensemble
Nationality:	Danish
Competition:	Charles Hennen Concours, International Chamber Music Competition for Strings 2010
Prize:	2nd Prize
Contact:	through the EMCY Office

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.

Nightingale String Quartet has won prizes at several national as well as international chamber music competitions. In 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 National Radio's chamber music competition in 2009. This started a long series of concerts in the chamber music societies all around Denmark. In 2010 Nightingale String Quartet was awarded 2nd Prize at the Charles Hennen Concours, International Chamber Music Competition for Strings and is exclusively invited to participate in the summer course 'Orlando Festival' in the Netherlands along with only 3 other prize winning quartets. At the festival they will receive dayly coachings from the legendary Shmuel Ashkenasi as well as perform at several concerts around the area.

In 2008 Nightingale String Quartet was invited to Shanghai, China to represent the Royal Danish Academy of Music at a ceremonial concert to symbolize the new collaboration with Shanghai's Conservatory of Music. During the summer of 2009 the quartet toured across South Africa with 'The Bow Project' string quartet pieces by composers from South Africa and the Faroese Islands inspired by the traditional African 'Uhadi bow songs'. In 2010 the quartet travelled to China once again, this time to represent Denmark at the World Expo in Shanghai, and to perform at concerts in Beijing. In 2010 Nightingale String Quartet will also begin recording Rued Langgaards string quartets for the danish record label DACAPO.

Besides from being taught by professor Tim Frederiksen, Nightingale String Quartet has received coachings from members of the Alban Berg Quartet and the Danish String Quartet, they have taken part in Milan Vitek's course in Litomysl in the Czech Republic and been given lessons by Lilia Schulz, György Kurtág og Roberto Díaz. Nightingale String Quartet are deeply thankful for the support the quartet has been given from the Augustinus Foundation, Margrethe Axelsen's Foundation, the Oticon Foundation, Denmarks National bank's Foundation of 1968, Carl Nielsen and Anne Marie Carl Nielsen's Fond and Danish Musicians Society.

The name of the quartet is inspired by the Danish national author Hans Christian Andersen's story about the little nightingale.

Read more about the Nightingale String Quartet at www.nightingalestringquartet.com.

The Nightingale String Quartet was invited by EMCY to perform in two concerts in North Rhine Westphalia, Germany in May 2011.

Repertoire

S. Barber, String Quartet (Op. 11, No. 1)
B. Bartók, String Quartet No. 2
L. van Beethoven, String Quartet 'Rasumowsky' (Op. 59, No. 2)
J. Haydn, String Quartet (Op. 76, No. 2)
R. Langaard, String Quartet No. 2
C. Nielsen, String Quartet in G minor (Op. 13)
M. Ravel, String Quartet
F. Schubert, String Quartet No. 14 'Death and the Maiden'
D. Shostakovich, String Quartet No. 3

If you are interested in working with the Nightingale String Quartet, please get in touch with the EMCY Office.