Folk music, beer, and classical masterpieces – the Danish String Quartet does things its own way

Unlike bungee jumping and seeing the Mona Lisa, a chamber music concert rarely appears on bucket lists of things to do before you die; but it should. With Asbjørn Nørgaard from the GRAMMY-nominated Danish String Quartet, SCAN Magazine explores how and why chamber music moves you.

Somehow, it is almost expected that bucket list experiences should be expensive, dangerous or only accessible to a selected few. However, thanks to the people who dedicate their lives to interpreting and presenting some of history’s greatest works of art, a string of highly evocative and moving experiences is right at hand. In fact, the only requirement to experience them is to let go of prejudice and apprehension.

“The greatest pieces of music in history, I perceive as extraordinary works of art. They are comparable to masterpieces like the Sistine Chapel or the Mona Lisa – creations of humanity that will always be important,” explains Nørgaard. “Take, for example, the last string quartets of Beethoven. For a string quartet, these are greater works of art than any painting, but you need to play them – you can’t just look at the sheet music. If we stop, to me, it would be like the Louvre closing its doors forever, and we could never see those paintings again. Of course, you can listen to recordings, but a live performance is something entirely different.”

Since an early age, Nørgaard and his three fellow players, Frederik Øland, Rune Tonsgaard Sørensen, and Fredrik Schøyen Sjölin have dedicated themselves to their instruments. Formed when the four were in their teens, the quartet is, today, recognised as one of the world’s best, with reviewers in awe of their ability to turn even the most treasured classical pieces into unique experiences for the audience.

The GRAMMY-nominated Danish String Quartet has performed at numerous sold-out concert halls as well as a number of less conventional stages, including the Danish Roskilde Festival.

Beer, music camp, and Beethoven

With an innovative programme that spans both classical repertoire and unique arrangements of Scandinavian folk music, the Danish String Quartet actively works to broaden the reach of traditional and classical string music.

On top of recording albums and performing at sold-out concert halls around the world, the four friends are also behind the DSQ Festival, an annual chamber music event held in intimate, informal settings in Copenhagen. Another venture aiming to make classical music more accessible is their Series of Four, an international concert series in Copenhagen where participants can enjoy a mix of great musical experiences and cold beer.

“To enjoy the artistic experience, people need to be in an unstressed state, so we try to remove as much as we can of the things that normally make people feel stressed. We dress informally, talk from the stage, tell people why we love this stuff,” explains Nørgaard and admits; “Often classical musicians are a bit detached from this world, but we try to attach ourselves – and if someone needs a beer to relax and enjoy, we want that to be possible.”

Slow down and go deeper

More recently, the quartet launched DSQ Academy, a music camp offering coaching, master classes, and career talks for young musicians from all over the world. All endeavours aim at a common goal – continuous exploration and innovation to keep the artworks of their ancestors alive. “Music has immense power, and it would be a tragedy if it all ended up being reduced to talent shows for kids. It’s incredibly important that someone keeps insisting on preserving this art form,” stresses Nørgaard.

He goes on to explain: “Many of these pieces are long, slow, and deep. In a time when everything is consumed in 3-minute segments on smartphones, it’s powerful to have a musical journey that lasts 16 minutes. During that time, no one is on their phone, and no one is talking. It elevates the experience to another level, whether you’re performing or listening. It’s sad if people go through life without experiencing this.”

If you have not yet had such an experience and feel unsure how to get started, the musician’s advice is simple: “Search for us on YouTube, watch a folk music concert, then a classical one, find our albums on Spotify, and when you’re ready, come to one of our concerts.”

The Danish String Quartet performs all over the world, check out the website for upcoming concerts.

Violinists Frederik Øland and Rune Tonsgaard Sørensen and violist Asbjørn Nørgaard met as children at a music summer camp. In 2008, the three Danes were joined by Norwegian cellist Fredrik Schøyen Sjölin.

Web: www.danishquartet.com
Facebook: danishquartet
Instagram: @danishquartet

Awards and accolades:

Over the years, the Danish String Quartet has received numerous prestigious accolades, including Musical America’s 2020 Ensemble of the Year and the Borletti-Buitoni Trust Award. They were named BBC Radio 3 New Generation Artists in 2013 and are members of The Bowers Program. In addition, they were awarded the NORDMETALLEnsemble Prize in 2010 and the Carl Nielsen Prize, Denmark’s highest cultural honour, in 2011. In 2025, as the first ensemble ever, the Danish String Quartet is receiving one of the world’s leading classical music prizes: the Léonie Sonning Music Prize.