The Danish String Quartet, one of the most widely-acclaimed chamber groups of the present moment, makes its ECM debut playing a programme of British and Danish music: Thomas Adès’s Arcadiana (composed 1994), Per Nørgård’s Quartetto Breve (1952), and Hans Abrahamsen’s 10 Preludes (1973).

The pieces were all written when the respective composers were each barely into their 20s, and have a freshness and intensity vividly conveyed in the DSQ’s interpretations. “Arcadia has no national boundaries”, writes Paul Griffiths in the liner notes. “We may feel that the precision of nuance, the warm and intelligent closeness of voices and the command of form these Danish musicians bring to Abrahamsen as to Nørgård comes from some common heritage or sympathy, and yet the same fine qualities shine through their performance of the Adès piece.”

The album was recorded in May 2015 at Reitstadel Neumarkt and produced by Manfred Eicher.

In 2009 the Danish String Quartet won First Prize in the 11th London International String Quartet Competition (now ‘Wigmore Hall International String Quartet Competition’), and for two years from 2013 were members of the BBC Radio 3 New Generation Artist scheme. In early 2016 they were named winners of a Borletti-Buitoni Trust award.